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THE  BOAT-BUILDER    SERIES. 


I. 
ALL  ADRIFT ;   or,  The  Goldwing  Club. 

//. 
SNUG  HARBOR ;  or,  The  Charaplain  Mechanics. 

SQUARE  AND  COMPASSES  ;  or,  Building  the 
House. 

IV. 
STEM  TO  STERN  ;  or,  Building  the  Boat. 

V. 

ALL  TAUT  ;  or,  Rigging  the  Boat. 

VI. 
READY  ABOUT ;  or,  Sailing  the  Boat. 


'Tiii:  Tuu>-ui:;i4LU  uau  iul^dkkkd,"  — Paoi:  ;:5. 


TuE   Boat- BUILDER   Series 


ALL   TAUT 


RIGGING     THE    BOAT 


BY 

OLIVER    OPTIC 


AUTHOR  OF   "  YOUNG  AMERICA   ABROAD  "  "  THE  GREAT  WESTERN  SERIES  ' 

••THE   ARMY  AND   NAVY   SERIES"   "THE   WOODVILLE    SERIES  ""  THE 

STARRY-FLAG    SERIES  "    "  THE     BOAT-CLUB    STORIES  "     "  THE 

ONWARD    AND     UPWARD    SERIES  "    "  THE    YACHT-CLUB 

SERIES"    "THE    LAKE-SHORE    SERIES"    "THE 

lUVERDALE    SERIES  "    "  ALL    ADRIFT  "' 

"SNUG   harbor"    "square   AND 

COMPASSES  "    "  STEM    TO 

STERN  "   ETC.   ETC. 


WITH   ILLUSTRATIONS 


BOSTON 

LEE    AND    SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS 

NEW  YORK 

CHARLES    T.    DILLINGHAM 

1887 


PZ 

7 


Copyright,  1886, 
Bv   WILLIAM  T.   ADAMS. 


All  rights  referred. 
All  Taut. 


TO 

FRED    G.    BERGER,    JR., 

OF  GRAND  RAPIDS,   MICH., 

This  Book 

IS  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED. 


PREFACE. 


''  A  LL  TAUT  "  is  the  fifth  volume  of  ''  The  Boat- 
-^  Builder  Series,"  which  will  be  finished  in  the 
next  book.  Nearly  all  the  characters  presented,  and 
all  who  take  prominent  parts  in  the  story,  have  T^een 
introduced  in  the  preceding  volumes.  The  principal 
of  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial  School  entertains  some 
doubts  in  regard  to  the  principle  upon  which  he  has 
l)een  conducting  the  institution,  and  brings  about  a 
partial  change  in  its  character.  He  is  a  firm  believer 
in  the  utility  of  the  school  as  he  has  organized  it ; 
and,  apart  from  its  industrial  mission,  he  believes  it 
may  accomplish  another  purpose  that  will  render  it  still 
more  valuable  to  the  community  in  which  he  resides. 

The  founder  of  the  school  has  demonstrated  to  his 
own  satisfaction,  to  say  the  least,  that  the  institution 
is  a  pi-acticable  cure  for  some  of  the  evils  of  Ameri- 
can society ;  and  he  adds  to  it  the  feature  of  making  it 
partly  reformatory.     The  subjects  of  his  new  experi- 


8  PREFACE. 

ment  in  this  direction  are  the  Topovers,  who  have  been 
the  bad  characters  of  the  story.  He  finds  them  more 
tractable  than  he  had  anticipated,  and  the  storj^  will 
show  with  what  results  he  applied  the  naval  discipline 
of  the  school  to  them. 

In  spite  of  the  rather  formidable  reformatory  plan 
of  Captain  Gildrock,  the  book  contains  about  the  same 
amount  of  incident  and  adventure  as  its  predecessors 
in  the  series ;  but  they  are  events  which  forward  the 
action  of  the  principal,  and  illustrate  his  method  of 
reforming  bad  boys.  The  Lily  is  rigged,  and  makes  a 
very  good  record  as  a  fast  sailer  on  the  lake. 

The  principal,  though  the  actual  work  to  be  done  by 
the  students  is  only  to  rig  a  fore-and-aft  schooner, 
explains  to  them  the  different  kinds  of  vessels,  classed 
by  their  rig,  and  fully  illustrates  the  system  by  which 
the  spars,  rigging,  and  sails  of  a  ship  are  named,  so 
that  he  makes  quite  an  easy  matter  of  it  for  the  boys. 

The  next  and  last  volume  of  the  series  will  be  de- 
voted to  the  sailing  of  boats  ;  though,  as  in  the  other 
books,  the  subject  will  be  amplified  so  as  to  include 
nautical  manoeuvres  of  larger  vessels. 

Dorchester,  ISIass.,  May  31,  1886. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE 

Tom  Topover  and  his  Recruits 13 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  VoyaCxE  of  the  Thunderer         ....      24 

CHAPTER  HI. 
A  Question  debated  and  settled     ....      35 

CHAPTER   IV. 
A  Mutiny,  and  a  New  Skipper 46 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  Question  of  Authority 57 

CHAPTER  VI. 
A  Row  ON  Board  the  Goldwing         ....      67 

CHAPTER  VII. 

An  Unexpected  Appearance      .       .       .       .       .78 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
A  Startling  Event  on  the  Road      ....      89 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Looking  for  a  Settlement 100 

9 


10 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  X. 
Two  Conflicting  Stories 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Complimentary  to  the  Picnic-Party 

CHAPTER  XII. 
A  New  Mission  for  the  Beech-Hill  School  . 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Beginning  of  the  Trouble 


PAGE 

111 


.    121 


132 


143 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
The  Prisoners  in  the  Dormitory      ....    154 

CHAPTER  XV. 
First  Lessons  in  Discipline 164 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Pupils  for  the  Next  Year        .        .        .        .175 

CHAPTER   XVII. 

Tom  Topover  finds  himself  ignored        .        .        .186 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Nautical  Instruction  on  the  Wharf      .        .        .197 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Different  Rigs  of  Vessels         .        .       .        .207 

CHAPTER  XX. 
The  Spars,  Sails,  and  Rigging  of  a  Ship       ,        .    217 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
The  Rigging  and  Sails  of  a  Schooner    .       .       .230 


CONTEXTS.  11 

CHAPTER   XXII.  PAGE 

Okgaxizin({  the  Ship's  Company         .        .        .        .241 

CHArTER    XXIII. 
The  Trial  Trip  of  the  Lily 251 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
A  Lively  Breeze  on  Lake  Champlain    .        .        .    262 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
Tom  Topover  in  the  Ascendant  again    .        .        .    278 

CHAPTER  XXVL 
An  Independent  Leader      284 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 
A  Sleepy  Ship's  Company 295 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
Stealing  a  March  upon  the  Leader       .       .        .306 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Tom  Topover's  Reception 317 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
The  Reformed  Topovers  at  Beech  Hill        .        .    327 


ALL    TAUT; 


EIGGI]SrG    THE    BOAT, 


CHAPTER  I. 

TOM  TOPOVER   AND   HIS   RECRUITS. 

"  "TTTHAT'S  the  use  of  rigging  the  boat,  Tom 
^  ^  Topover  ?  "  demanded  Ash  Burton,  with 
no  little  disgust  apparent  in  his  tones  and  looks. 

"  How  can  you  sail  the  boat  if  she  isn't  rigged, 
Ash?"  retorted  Tom,  who  had  always  been  the 
leader  of  the  "  dangerous  class  "  of  boys  in  Gen- 
verres. 

*'  We  don't  want  to  sail  her ;  we  can't  sail  her 
in  this  creek,"  replied  Ash  Burton,  who  seemed 
to  be  inclined  to  dispute  the  authority  and  reject 
the  leadership  of  the  Topover. 

13 


14  ALL  TAUT;   OR, 

"What's  the  reason  we  can't?"  asked  Tom, 
suspending  his  labors  upon  an  old  stick  which 
was  to  serve  as  a  mast  for  the  craft  they  were 
getting  ready  for  service. 

"  Because  there  is  no  room  up  here  to  sail  a 
boat.  This  creek  is  not  more  than  ten  feet  wide, 
and  the  wind  is  blowing  directly  up  stream.  It  is 
half  a  mile  to  Beechwater,  as  the  fellows  in  the 
Industrial  School  call  it.  The  current  will  carry 
us  down  with  only  a  little  steering." 

"  What  are  we  going  to  do  when  we  get  to  the 
little  lake  ?  We  have  nothing  but  a  couple  of 
pieces  of  boards  for  oars,  and  we  can't  do  nothing 
rowing,"  argued  Tom  Topover. 

''  All  we  want  to  do  in  this  tub  is  to  get  down 
to  the  grove,  and  then  we  shall  be  all  right," 
added  Asli  Burton  warmly. 

"  We  are  going  to  sail  down,"  persisted  Tom ; 
not  that  he  cared  how  the  craft  was  propelled 
through  the  water,  but  because  he  always  wanted 
liis  own  way,  and  that  his  word  should  be  law  to 
his  companions. 

"  You  don't  know  how  to  sail  her  after  you  get 
her  rigged,"  said  Ash,  with  no  little  contempt  in 
his  tone. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  15 

"  You  do,  and  that's  eiioiigli.  When  we  get  her 
into  the  water,  your  work  will  begin,  and  mine 
will  end." 

Ash  Burton  had  recently  moved  to  Genverres 
from  Westport,  where  he  had  sailed  in  a  boat  a 
few  times,  and  claimed  to  know  something  about 
the  management  of  one.  Half  a  dozen  boys  had 
gathered  on  the  bank  of  the  creek ;  and  they  were 
all  the  associates,  more  or  less,  of  Tom  Topover, 
Nim  Splugger,  Kidd  Digfield,  and  boj^s  of  that 
stamp. 

They  had  heard  a  great  deal  about  the  building 
of  the  Lily,  the  schooner  which  had  been  launched 
by  the  students  of  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial  School 
just  before  the  end  of  the  term.  The  people  of 
the  town  had  talked  a  great  deal  about  it,  and 
most  of  them  were  interested  to  see  her  rigged 
and  sailing  in  the  waters  of  the  river  and  lake. 
It  was  well  understood  that  the  rigging  of  the 
boat  was  the  first  thing  in  order  after  the  school 
was  re-organized  in  the  month  of  September. 

The  young  ladies  in  Genverres,  and  others  who 
had  attended  the  launch,  which  had  been  one 
of  the  great  occasions  of  the  year,  bad  talked 
with  the  students ;  and  "  rigging  the  boat "  was 


16  ALL   TAUT;    OK, 

still  the  subject  of  conversation  among  tlitm.  Of 
course  the  boys  did  more  talking  on  this  subject 
than  all  others.  Tom  Topover  had  seen  the 
launch,  and  heard  the  subject  of  rigging  the  new 
craft  discussed.  He  was  inspired  to  do  something 
of  the  same  kind,  and  this  explained  his  persist- 
ency in  part. 

It  was  the  last  week  in  August,  and  in  two 
weeks  the  industrial  school  would  be  open  again ; 
but  the  students  who  went  to  their  homes  had  not 
yet  returned,  and  every  thing  was  very  quiet 
about  the  grounds  and  buildings.  A  few  boys 
who  had  no  homes,  or  had  them  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  spent  a  good  deal  of  their  time  in  the 
Sylph,  the  steam-yacht  of  the  principal.  Captain 
Gildrock. 

Dory  Dornwood  had  preferred  to  remain  at 
home  with  his  mother  and  sister,  at  the  mansion 
of  his  uncle  the  captain.  He  made  a  call  as  often 
as  it  was  decent  for  liim  to  do  so,  at  the  cottage  of 
Mr.  Bristol  on  the  bank  of  the  creek.  IMiss  Lily 
Bristol,  the  daughter  of  the  engineer  who  lived 
there,  was  acknowledged  everywhere  to  be  a  re- 
markably pretty  girl,  about  Dory's  own  age. 

Dory  was  a  great  character  at  the  school,  and 


RIGGING  THE  BOAT.  17 

he  was  now  the  captain  of  the  Sylph  when  the 
institution  was  in  session.  He  was  by  no  means 
a  fighting  character,  though  he  had  been  in  some 
hard  battles  with  students  and  others,  and  his 
prowess  possibly  had  something  to  do  with  his 
popularity  in  school  and  out. 

During  the  vacation,  the  Sylph  was  in  service 
a  great  part  of  the  time.  As  she  went  some- 
where nearly  every  day  except  Sunday,  Dory  had 
frequent  occasion  to  go  to  the  cottage  to  give  the 
engineer  his  orders  for  the  next  day.  His  mes- 
sage to  the  father  was  generally  coupled  with  an 
invitation  to  Lily  and  her  mother  to  join  the  party. 

Besides,  Lily  had  a  brother  who  had  won  dis- 
tinction among  the  students  for  certain  battles  he 
had  fought  with  Major  Billcord  and  his  son  Walk. 
Under  Dory's  direction,  the  students  had  moved 
the  cottage  in  which  the  Bristols  lived,  from  Sandy 
Point  to  its  present  location ;  and  this  event,  in 
one  way  and  another,  had  led  to  a  very  close  in- 
timacy between  the  young  captain  of  the  Sylph 
and  Paul  Bristol,  Lily's  brother. 

Perhaps  Dory  wished  to  see  his  friend  very 
often ;  at  any  rate,  he  went  to  the  cottage  about 
every  day  in  the  week.     Some  of  the  students, 


18  ALL  TAUT;   OR, 

and  even  his  sister  Marian,  were  disposed  to  laugh 
at  him  for  his  frequent  visits ;  but  Dory  never 
admitted,  even  to  himself,  that  he  went  to  see 
Lily.  Being  quite  young,  it  is  probable  that  he 
did  not  understand  the  matter  very  well,  and  was 
ignorant  of  what  it  was  that  attracted  him  to  the 
cottage. 

Tom  Topover  and  his  followers  had  been  hear- 
ing all  the  talk  in  the  town,  —  at  school,  at  the 
taverns,  and  in  the  shops,  —  about  the  doings  at 
tlie  Industrial  School.  They  had  been  inclined  to 
imitate,  in  their  own  way,  the  operations  of  the 
students  on  the  water.  They  had  endeavored  to 
get  into  various  quarrels  with  them,  sometimes 
for  the  simple  fun  of  bothering  and  annoying 
them,  and  sometimes  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
possession  of  their  boats. 

Twice  they  had  stolen  the  long  barges;  and 
once,  when  they  were  assisted  by  the  students  of 
the  Chesterfield  Collegiate  Institute,  they  had 
given  the  owners  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  re- 
covering the  property  of  the  school.  It  is  not 
strange  that  the  frequent  view  of  so  many  elegant 
boats  on  the  river  and  lake  inspired  them  to  imi- 
tate their  more  fortunate  neighbors  in  the  sports 
of  the  water. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  19 

Tom  and  his  coinpiinioDS  believed  that  the  stu- 
dents and  their  principal  were  especially  mean 
and  selfish,  in  keeping  all  these  elegant  boats 
exclusively  for  their  own  use.  He  had  done  his 
best  in  trying  to  be  civil,  and  even  polite,  in 
making  his  request,  for  himself  and  his  associates, 
for  the  nse  of  some  of  the  boats  for  an  hour  or 
two.  Ke  had  always  been  refused ;  for  they  were 
not  competent  to  manage  such  craft,  in  the  first 
place,  and  the  principal  had  no  fancy  for  indulging 
bad  boys. 

Being  unable  to  obtain  the  use  even  of  the 
four-oar  rowboats  of  the  institution,  though  it  was 
vacation,  they  had  constructed  a  flat-bottomed 
affair,  which  they  called  a  boat,  but  to  which  no 
one  else  would  have  had  courtesy  enough  to  apply 
the  term.  It  had  been  constructed  under  the 
direction  of  Ash  Burton,  who  was  certainly  a 
higher  grade  of  boy  than  the  original  Topovers ; 
but  it  may  be  doubted  if  his  standard  of  morals 
was  any  more  elevated.  He  had  been  well  edu- 
cated so  far,  and  was  now  in  the  high  school. 

The  Topovers  were  enterprismg  and  daring; 
and  this  fact,  rather  than  their  coarse  manners 
and  disregard  of  the  laws  of  God  and  man,  had 


20  ALL   TAUT;    OK, 

drawn  him  to  tliem.  With  him  in  tone  and  man- 
ners were  half  a  dozen  other  boys  like  him,  who 
had  joined  the  Topovers.  The  old  leader  had 
been  in  some  bad  scrapes,  and  the  people  were 
generally  sorry  that  he  had  not  been  convicted 
for  his  assault  upon  Paul  Bristol,  on  tlie  other 
side  of  the  lake.  They  believed,  that,  in  their 
own  State,  he  would  have  been  sent  to  a  correc- 
tional institution. 

The  addition  of  boys  like  Ash  Burton  and  Sam 
Spottwood  had  greatly  changed  the  character  of 
the  original  band.  Hearing  some  of  their  num- 
ber speak  good  English,  had  led  them  to  improve 
their  own  language.  But  morally,  they  probably 
dragged  down  the  recruits  quite  as  much  as  the 
latter  elevated  them.  On  the  whole,  however, 
the  tone  of  the  crowd  was  improved. 

The  thing  they  called  a  boat  had  been  built, 
and  launched  with  some  of  the  show  which  had 
attended  the  advent  of  the  Lily  into  her  destined 
element.  The  next  thing  in  order,  according  to 
Tom's  idea,  was  to  rig  her.  It  would  not  be 
proper  to  make  an  excursion  in  her,  if  she  would 
float  with  half  a  dozen  of  them  in  her,  —  which 
had  yet  to  be  demonstrated,  —  until  she  had  been 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  21 

rigged.  The  leader  and  some  of  the  others  had 
brought  such  bits  of  Hue  as  they  could  lay  their 
bauds  upou,  not  always  with  a  strict  regard  to  the 
rights  of  property. 

Ash  Burtou  and  Sam  Spottwood  did  not  be- 
lieve in  this  folly,  and  they  were  disposed  to  rebel 
against  the  chief  of  the  Topovers.  The  old  sheet 
which  Tom  had  brought  for  a  sail  would  be  as 
useless  as  a  steam-engine  without  a  propeller,  in 
going  down  Beech  Creek. 

"  If  you  want  to  rig  her,  go  ahead,  Tom,"  said 
Ash,  when  he  had  exhausted  his  arguments 
against  the  plan.  "  Sam  and  I  will  wait  until 
you  do  the  job." 

"But  I  don't  know  how,"  added  Tom.  "I 
never  had  any  thing  to  do  with  sailboats." 

"Let  him  have  his  own  way.  Ash,"  suggested 
Sam  Spottwood,  in  a  low  voice.  "  Help  him  out, 
and  we  shall  get  off  all  the  sooner." 

The  new  boat  was  not  only  to  be  rigged  that 
day,  but  she  was  to  convey  her  builders  down  the 
stream  to  the  lake.  Tom  had  hacked  out  a  boom 
and  gaff,  and  had  set  up  the  crooked  stick  which 
was  to  serve  as  a  mast.  One  of  the  boys  had  to 
devote  himself  all  the  time  to  the  work  of  baling 


22  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

out  the  leaky  craft,  while  another  was  punching 
cotton-wool  into  the  gaping  seams,  and  plastering 
them  over  with  putty. 

The  mast-hole  was  so  large  that  the  spar  would 
not  stand  up ;  and  Ash  rigged  a  pair  of  shrouds 
to  support  it  in  place.  The  sail  had  already  been 
bent  on  the  boom  and  gaff  in  a  very  unnautical 
manner,  and  a  few  minutes  served  to  attach  it  to 
the  mast.  The  master  rigger  on  this  occasion  was 
not  disposed  to  waste  any  time  on  the  rigging; 
and  the  gaff  was  not  made  to  hoist  and  lower,  but 
was  simply  tied  to  the  top  of  the  mast.  A  piece 
of  bed-cord  was  fastened  to  the  boom,  to  serve  as 
the  main  sheet,  and  the  craft  was  ready  for  sea. 

But  the  calker  had  not  yet  finished  his  labors, 
and  Sam  Spottwood  assisted  him.  The  cotton 
had  but  a  light  hold  on  the  wood,  in  the  wideness 
of  the  seams,  but  the  putty  kept  it  in  place.  In 
another  half-hour,  the  workmen  declared  that  the 
boat  was  tight,  and  would  keep  dry,  even  in  a 
heavy  sea,  out  in  the  great  lake.  Ash  Burton  had 
some  doubts  on  this  point,  but  he  said  nothing. 
If  they  all  got  overboard,  it  would  be  easy  enough 
to  get  out  of  the  creek,  it  was  so  narrow. 

*'  Is  every  thing  all   right    now  ? "  asked   Tom 


BIGGING   THE   BOAT.  23 

Topover,  in  a  tone  of  authority,  when  the  calker 
announced  that  his  job  was  finished. 

"Every  thing  is  all  right,"  replied  Kidd  Dig- 
field,  who  had  used  the  cotton  and  putty.  "  The 
boat  is  all  ready." 

Tom  proceeded  to  take  his  place  at  the  stern. 


24  ALL   TAUT;   OK, 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   VOYAGE   OF   THE   THUNDERER. 

"  "TTT'HO  is  to  be  the  captain  of  this  craft, 
^  ^  Tom  ? "  asked  Ash  Burton,  when  the 
leader  of  the  gang  had  taken  his  place  at  the 
post  of  honor. 

"I  am,  of  course,"  replied  Tom,  opening  his 
mouth  from  ear  to  ear  in  a  grin  which  was  in- 
tended to  express  his  astonishment  that  any  one 
should  put  such  a  question  to  him. 

"  All  right,"  added  Ash,  with  a  nod  of  his  head 
in  addition  to  emphasize  his  consent ;  "  we  will 
all  obey  your  orders." 

"  Of  course  you  will.  In  a  boat  there  can  be 
only  one  head,  and  others  must  do  as  the  captain 
says,"  continued  the  self-appointed  skipper. 

"  You  are  exactly  right  there,  Tom.  On  board 
of  the  Sylph  a  fellow  is  not  allowed  to  say  his 
soul  is  his  own ;  and  if  he  disobeys  the  orders  of 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  25 

his  superior  officer,  lie  is  shut  up  in  the  dark,  or 
something  of  that  sort." 

"  That's  the  right  way  to  do  it,"  argued  Tom. 
"  If  a  fellow  won't  mind  the  captain,  he  ought  to 
be  shut  up,  and  kept  there  till  he  is  willing  to 
mind." 

"  We  shall  all  mind,"  said  Ash ;  but  some  of 
his  companions  could  not  help  noticing  a  sort 
of  chuckle  as  he  spoke. 

As  no  one  said  any  thing  more  on  the  subject, 
and  all  seemed  to  agree  that  he  should  be  the  cap- 
tain, Tom  proceeded  to  station  his  ship's  company 
in  the  boat.  He  ordered  Ash  to  take  a  place 
beside  him  in  the  stern.  There  was  no  more  than 
room  enough  for  the  six  boys,  and  certainly  none 
for  as  many  more  who  had  taken  part  in  the 
building  of  the  boat,  but  were  not  present  at 
the  rigging  of  the  craft. 

The  Thunderer  —  for  that  was  the  name  Tom 
had  given  her  in  spite  of  the  protest  of  Ash  and 
Sam,  who  wanted  to  call  her  the  Boxer,  perhaps 
as  a  compliment  to  the  leader  of  the  party,  but 
more  probably  because  she  was  more  like  a  box 
than  a  boat  —  had  her  bow  on  the  sand  at  the 
bank  of  the  creek.     Tom  directed  Sam  Spottwood, 


26  ALL   TAUT  ;    OK, 

who  was  in  tlie  forward  part  of  the  boat,  to  shove 
her  off. 

The  boy  addressed  had  a  piece  of  board  in  his 
hand,  and  he  obeyed  the  order.  The  cluinsy  craft 
slid  off  the  sandbank  into  the  water.  The  six 
stout  boys  in  her  settled  her  down  so,  that  Tom 
began  to  manifest  some  signs  of  timidity  ;  but 
when  she  had  reached  her  bearings  she  did  very 
well,  and  rested  like  a  log  on  the  water.  The 
hills  and  trees  on  each  side  sheltered  the  creek  in 
this  place  from  the  breeze  that  was  blowing,  and 
the  sail  hung  idly  from  the  gaff. 

The  boat  was  provided  with  a  rudder  moved  by 
a  tiller  thrust  into  a  half-inch  auger-hole.  It  w^as 
sufficient  to  move  the  rudder,  and  that  was  all  that 
was  expected  of  it.  Tom  thought  that  the  boat 
was  a  decided  success,  as  she  had  not  yet  spilled 
them  out  into  the  creek.  The  current  of  the 
stream  was  strong  enough  to  set  the  craft  in  mo- 
tion, and  she  began  her  maiden  voyage  down  to 
the  little  lake. 

But  slie  did  not  pay  proper  allegiance  to  her 
helm,  in  spite  of  all  tlie  twisting  and  jerking  that 
Tom  bestowed  upon  the  innocent  tiller,  which 
was  not  at  all  responsible  for  the  erratic  course  of 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  27 

the  Thunderer.  She  bunted  on  the  sandbars,  and 
even  poked  her  blunt  nose  into  the  banks  as  if 
she  were  hunting  for  muskrats. 

"  There  is  some  mistake  about  this  boat,"  said 
Tom,  when  he  had  exhausted  his  strength  and  his 
patience  in  vain  attempts  to  bring  the  craft  to 
some  definite  course. 

"What  is  it.  Captain  Topover?"  asked  Ash, 
winking  slyly  to  Sam  in  the  bow. 

"  That's  more  than  I  know,  for  every  thing 
seems  to  be  all  right  about  her.  The  rudder 
moves  when  I  shift  the  tiller,  but  she  don't  mind 
it  no  more  than  a  naughty  boy  minds  his  mother," 
replied  Tom,  looking  over  the  boat  in  his  efforts 
to  ascertain  what  the  matter  was. 

Just  at  that  moment,  the  obdurate  Thunderer 
was  whirled  by  an  eddy  in  the  current,  and 
thrown  against  a  log  of  wood  projecting  from 
the  bank.  She  canted  over,  and  Kidd  Digfield 
sprang  to  his  feet.  It  looked  as  though  the  boat 
were  going  to  spill  them  all  out,  but  she  did  not : 
on  the  contrar}^  she  rebounded  from  the  obstacle, 
and  went  whirling  on  her  way  down  the  stream. 

"  Sit  down,  Kidd  Digfield ! "  shouted  Tom  im- 
peratively.    "  You  have  been  in  a  boat  enough  to 


28  ALL  taut;  or, 

know  better  than  to  stand  up  in  that  fashion.  No 
fellow  is  to  get  on  his  feet,  whatever  happens." 

The  skipper  had  learned  this  from  the  discipline 
of  the  students,  with  some  of  whom  he  had  con- 
versed ;  and  he  had  often  been  near  enough  to 
their  boats  to  learn  somethiDg  of  the  way  in  which 
they  managed  them. 

"  That's  right.  Captain  Topover,"  said  Ash  ap- 
provingly. "A  fellow  that  stands  up  without 
orders  in  such  a  craft  as  this  ought  to  be  thrown 
overboard." 

"  No  matter  what  happens,  no  fellow  must  get 
on  his  feet,"  repeated  Tom  sternly.  "  It  won't 
do." 

"  Suppose  the  thing  upsets  or  sinks,  are  we  to 
keep  our  seats?"  asked  Kidd,  more  to  bother  his 
commandiiig  officer  than  for  any  other  reason. 

.''  When  it  comes  to  that,  it  is  another  thing," 
replied  Tom,  with  all  the  dignity  he  could  man- 
age to  muster.  "  Obey  the  orders  of  your  cap- 
tain ;  and  when  he  gets  on  his  feet,  it  will  be  time 
enough  for  you  to  do  so." 

The  Thunderer  continued  to  wander  and  whirl 
in  the  current  and  the  eddies,  in  spite  of  the  best 
skill  of  the  skipper  to  prevent  it.     Ash  Burton 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  29 

knew  very  well  what  the  matter  was,  but  he  did 
not  think  it  proper  for  a  simple  sailor  to  give 
advice  or  instruction  to  the  high  and  mighty  cap- 
tain. Tom  was  the  captain,  and  it  devolved  upon 
him  to  manage  the  Thunderer  as  he  thought 
best. 

The  boat  whirled  entirely  around  sometimes, 
rudder  or  no  rudder;  and  Tom  did  not  know 
what  to  make  of  it.  He  had  never  seen  a  boat 
act  so  before,  and  he  w\as  sure  that  none  of  the 
school  navy  behaved  in  such  an  unaccountable 
manner.  The  progress  of  the  expedition  was  very 
slow ;  and  the  skipper  declared  that  it  would  take 
all  day  to  get  to  Beechwater  at  this  rate,  to  say 
nothing  of  Lake  Champlain,  upon  whose  waves 
they  desired  to  navigate  the  Thunderer. 

"  I  say,  Sam  Spottwood,  just  use  that  board  of 
yours  a  little,  and  keep  the  boat  from  twisting 
about  like  a  ram's  horn,"  said  Tom,  when  he 
could  devise  no  other  expedient  for  keeping  the 
boat  in  a  direct  course. 

"  What  am  I  to  do  with  it  ?  "  asked  Sam,  who 
had  some  idea  of  what  had  been  passing  in  the 
mind  of  Ash. 

"  When  you  see  her  whirling  about,  just  stick 


30  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

the  board  on  the  bottom,  or  against  the  bank,  and 
push  her  round,"  added  Turn. 

Sam  obeyed  the  order  when  the  bow  came  near 
enough  to  the  bank  for  hun  to  touch  it.  But 
when  he  attempted  to  reach  the  bottom  of  the 
creek,  the  water  was  too  deep  for  the  length  of 
his  stick.  The  boat  whirled  again,  and  Tom  re- 
proved the  hand  forward  for  not  preventing  it. 

"I  can't  touch  bottom  with  this  oar,"  replied 
Sam.  "  I  can  only  use  it  when  she  runs  into  the 
bank." 

The  Thunderer  was  approaching  the  stone- 
quarries,  and  the  creek  was  wider  and  deeper  than 
where  they  had  embarked.  Tom  could  give  no 
further  orders  to  remedy  the  difficulty,  and  the 
craft  continued  to  waltz  on  her  course.  When 
they  had  gone  a  short  distance  farther,  a  slight 
breeze  from  behind  Beech  Hill  filled  the  sail.  In 
that  turn  of  the  stream  it  happened  to  be  fair, 
and  the  boat  began  to  move  more  rapidly  through 
the  water. 

There  was  no  more  trouble  about  the  steering 
at  that  moment ;  for,  as  soon  as  she  had  steerage- 
way,  there  was  something  for  the  rudder  to  act 
against. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  31 

"  That's  the  talk ! "'  exclaimed  Tom,  when  he 
saw  the  Thunderer  behaving  like  a  proper  and 
obedient  Thunderer.  "  She  has  got  over  that  bad 
trick,  and  she  steers  like  a  lady  now." 

The  craft  reached  the  hill,  and  again  she  was 
left  in  a  calm.  Not  a  particle  of  breeze  came  to 
fill  the  sail,  and  she  began  to  gyrate  as  she  had 
done  before.  Tom  was  vexed ;  and  he  tried  in 
vain  to  solve  the  mystery,  while  Ash  chuckled  at 
the  ignorance  and  stupidity  of  the  captain  of  the 
Thunderer. 

Passing  the  Bristol  cottage,  which  seemed  to 
be  closed  up,  they  came  into  Beechwater.  There 
was  a  little  breeze  on  the  lake,  and  the  sail  filled 
again.  But  the  wind  did  not  come  from  the  same 
direction  as  before;  and  after  the  sheet  —  not  the 
main  sheet,  but  the  bed-sheet  doing  duty  as  a 
mainsail  —  had  filled  once,  it  refused  to  fill  again. 
It  had  been  trimmed  at  random,  and  was  not  in 
position  to  profit  by  the  light  air  that  came  to 
it. 

Ash  Burton  laughed  in  his  sleeve,  and  winked 
at  Sam  Spottwood.  As  the  Thunderer  had  passed 
out  of  the  current,  or  where  the  force  of  it  was 
diffused  through  the  whole  breadth  of  the  lake, 


32  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

she  ceased  to  move  at  all,  so  far  as  her  gallant 
skipper  could  discern. 

"  Are  we  going  to  stop  for  dinner  here  ?  "  asked 
Ash,  with  another  wink  at  Sam. 

"  That  sail  keeps  flapping,  and  there  is  wind 
enough ;  but  the  boat  don't  seem  to  go  at  all," 
replied  the  perplexed  commander  of  the  Thun- 
derer.    "  I  wonder  what's  the  matter  with  her  ?  " 

"  The  captain  of  the  vessel  ought  to  know  what 
ails  her,"  added  Ash. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know ;  and  she  won't  move  at 
all,"  added  the  skipper.  "  Do  you  know  what 
ails  her.  Ash  Burton?" 

"I  don't  pretend  to  know  any  thing  at  all 
about  it,  and  I  only  obey  the  captain's  orders," 
answered  Ash,  winking  again  at  his  crony  for- 
ward. 

"If  you  want  to  tell  me  any  thing  about  the 
matter,  I  am  ready  to  hear  you,"  continued  the 
captain,  nonplussed  at  the  situation. 

"I  don't  want  to  tell  3'ou  a  single  word.  I 
know  my  place  better  than  to  do  such  a  thing. 
It  would  be  nothing  less  than  mutiny  for  me  to 
presume  to  tell  the  commander  of  the  vessel  what 
to  do." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  83 

''  We  will  let  up  a  little  on  that,"  added  Tom, 
with  a  grin,  which  was  his  apology  for  receding 
from  his  position.  "Can  you  tell  me  what  the 
matter  is?" 

"I  cannot,  but  I  am  ready  to  obey  orders," 
replied  Ash. 

Tom  Topover  took  hold  of  the  main  sheet,  — 
not  the  bed-sheet  this  time,  but  the  rope,  —  and 
pulled  the  boom  towards  him.  He  had  done  so 
in  the  process  of  his  investigation,  rather  than  to 
accomplish  any  movement.  But  the  effect  was 
the  same  as  though  he  had  done  it  on  purpose. 

The  moment  he  hauled  in  the  sail,  the  wind 
filled  it,  and  the  boat  began  to  go  ahead  again. 
Tom  was  not  a  fool  in  all  branches  of  human 
action,  and  he  could  not  help  seeing  how  he 
should  keep  the  sail  full.  He  made  fast  the 
sheet ;  and  the  boat  continued  to  go  ahead,  till 
she  was  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Gold  wing-, 
Dory  Dornwood's  sloop-yacht. 

''Run  for  the  shore,  Tom!"  suddenly  shouted 
Nim  Splugger,  who  was  seated  in  the  middle  of 
the  craft. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you,  Nim?"  demanded 
the  skipper. 


34  ALL  TAUT;   OR, 

"The  putty  and  cotton  is  coming  out  of  the 
cracks,  and  the  boat  will  be  full  of  water  in  about 
two  minutes,"  added  Nim. 

"That's  so!"  yelled  Kidd.  "  Tlie  water  is 
pouring  in  like  a  mill-stream,  and  we  shall  be  in 
the  lake  in  a  couple  of  minutes." 

The  two  minutes  had  not  elapsed  when  tlie 
boat  was  half  full,  and  she  rolled  over  as  gently 
as  though  she  had  been  a  log. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  35 


CHAPTER  III. 

A   QUESTION   DEBATED    AND    SETTLED. 

rriHE  Thunderer  had  foundered  ;  but  not  being 
provided  with  ballast  she  did  not  go  to 
the  bottom,  as  it  is  set  down  in  poetry  and 
prose  that  she  should  do  when  she  fills  with 
water.  All  the  Topovers  of  the  present  party 
had  been  educated  in  the  manly  sports  of  the 
locality,  and  they  could  all  swim.  The  disaster 
was  not,  therefore,  a  very  appalling  catastrophe. 
But  they  were  not  required  to  swim  any  great 
distance,  and  the  useful  art  they  had  acquired 
was  of  more  service  in  enabling  them  to  retain 
their  self-possession  than  for  the  purpose  of  reach- 
ing the  shore. 

The  clumsy  craft  went  out  from  under  them, 
for  it  was  no  longer  able  to  hold  them  up.  As 
she  rolled  over,  she  filled  with  water  to  the  gun- 
wales,   and  emptied   her   living   freight   into  the 


36  ALL    TAUT  ;    OR, 

lake.  But  the  event  occuiTed  not  ten  feet  from 
the  Goldwing's  moorings ;  and  while  one  half  of 
the  crew  swam  to  the  sloop,  the  other  half  clung 
to  the  wreck.  Among  the  latter  was  Captain 
Topover,  who  possibly  believed  that  the  master 
should  be  the  last  to  leave  the  ill-fated  bark. 

Those  in  the  forward  part  of  the  Thunderer 
had  gone  to  the  yacht,  as  they  were  the  nearest 
to  it ;  while  those  in  the  stern  did  not  "  give  up 
the  ship," — not  just  then,  though  they  did  so 
a  few  moments  later  when  they  discovered  that 
the  wreck  was  floating  towards  the  outlet.  Ash 
Burton  was  the  first  to  take  this  step,  and  the 
other  two  immediately  followed  him.  There  was 
plenty  of  room  on  board  of  the  Goldwing  for 
a  dozen,  and  the  shipwrecked  party  were  not 
crowded. 

"  That's  the  end  of  the  Thunderer ! "  ex- 
claimed Sam  Spottwood,  as  he  shook  the  water 
from  his  garments,  and  tried  to  make  himself  as 
comfortable  as  possible.  "It  is  lucky  that  she 
left  us  to  shift  for  ourselves  just  here,  instead 
of  out  in  the  middle  of  Lake  Champlain." 

"Can't  we  save  her?"  asked  Tom  Topover, 
who  had  been  reduced  by  the  disaster  to  the  level 
of  his  companions. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  37 

"She  isn't  worth  saving,"  replied  Sam  con- 
temptuously. "  She  can  never  be  made  to  stay 
on  the  top  of  the  water,  and  I  wouldn't  give  two 
cents  for  a  boat  that  wants  to  burrow  in  the 
mud  at  the  bottom." 

"  I  don't  think  the  Thunderer  was  a  success," 
added  Ash  Burton,  as  he  wrung  out  the  sack 
coat  he  wore.  "  I  shall  not  go  into  the  ship- 
building business  at  present." 

"But  she  was  a  good  boat,  and  worked  very 
well,"  insisted  the  late  captain  of  the  craft. 
"  She  sailed  very  well  when  she  got  the  hang 
of  it." 

"  Or  when  her  skipper  got  the  hang  of  it," 
suggested  Ash. 

Tom  took  no  notice  of  this  bit  of  sarcasm,  and 
perhaps  did  not  understand  it.  All  the  party 
proceeded  to  do  what  they  could  to  get  the 
burden  of  water  out  of  their  clothes.  But  it  was 
a  warm  day  in  August,  and  they  were  not  likely 
to  suffer  from  their  involuntary  bath.  The  hot 
sun  was  rapidly  restoring  the  garments  to  their 
former  condition  ;  and  the  rough  crowd  made 
light  of  the  affair,  for  they  were  in  the  water 
half  the  time  during  the  long  vacation. 


38  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

''  We  liiive  lost  our  sail,"  said  Sam  Spottwood, 
who  had  no  interest  in  the  craft  which  was  now 
half-way  to  the  outlet  of  Beechwater. 

"  That's  so,  and  we  have  lost  all  the  w^ork  we 
put  into  that  craft.  However,  I  did  not  expect 
much  of  such  a  tub,  and  I  am  not  much  dis- 
appointed in  the  result  of  the  first  cruise.  But 
here  we  are,  and  here  we  are  likely  to  remain 
until  some  one  from  the  school  comes  and  takes 
us  off." 

"You  will  have  to  wait  a  long  while  if  you 
expect  to  be  taken  off,"  added  Sam;  "for  all  the 
people  belonging  to  the  place  went  off  this  morn- 
ing in  the  Sylph,  and  they  won't  be  back  till 
night." 

"It  isn't  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  yet,  and 
they  will  not  be  back  till  dark,  for  they  take 
their  suppers  on  board,"  said  Ash  Burton,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders  at  the  prospect.  "  We  shall 
get  no  dinner,  and  no  supper,  and  it  looks  like  a 
starving  time  ahead." 

"You  can  bet  I  don't  stay  here  without  any 
dinner  and  without  any  supper,"  interposed  Tom 
Topover.  "  If  I  don't  get  my  dinner  to  home  to- 
day, it  will  be  because  I  get  it  somewhere  else." 


RIGGING   THE  BOAT.  39 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  manage  it. 
Do  you  mean  to  swim  ashore  ?  "  asked  Ash. 

"  I  could  do  that  if  I  wanted  to,  and  so  could 
the  rest  on  us  ;  but  there  is  a  better  way,"  re- 
plied Tom,  with  a  significant  grin. 

"A  better  way?     What  is  it?"  asked  Sam. 

"We  ain't  in  the  water,  be  we?"  asked  the 
late  captain,  with  an  expressive  look  at  his  com- 
panions, as  though  he  desired  to  take  the  measure 
of  them  for  a  new  enterprise. 

"We  be  not,"  answered  Ash,  who  had  taken 
the  job  of  correcting  the  leader's  English,  and 
had  succeeded  to  a  considerable  extent.  "  We 
are  not  in  the  water ;  on  the  contrary,  we  are  on 
board  of  the  able  and  swift-sailing  Goldwing; 
and  we  should  be  driven  from  her  like  cows  from 
the  corn  if  there  were  any  of  the  officers  of  the 
school  at  home." 

"  Just  so,  but  they  are  not  at  home.  Most 
likely  they  are  up  to  Whitehall  or  some  other 
place  at  that  end  of  the  lake.  Do  you  think  I 
am  going  to  stay  here  all  day  without  any  dinner 
and  supper,  when  we  might  just  as  well  use  this 
boat  as  leave  her  alone?"  demanded  Tom  Top- 
over  earnestly. 


40  ALL   TAUT;    OK, 

''It  will  be  the  safest  way  to  let  her  alone," 
replied  Ash,  shaking  his  head.  "  You  came  very 
near  being  doomed  to  look  through  the  bars  of  a 
gridiron  for  the  next  three  or  six  months,  over 
on  the  other  side  of  the  lake  ;  and  it  will  be  well 
for  you  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  to  windward, 
Tom." 

"That  was  because  I  licked  Paul  Bristol," 
added  Tom,  with  a  grin. 

"  Or  because  3"ou  got  licked  by  him,"  suggested 
Ash.  "According  to  all  accounts,  you  got  the 
worst  of  it." 

"  I  can  lick  Paul  Bristol  or  Dory  Dornwood 
out  of  their  boots,  every  time,"  bragged  Tom, 
who  was  never  able  to  remember  his  defeats  in 
the  past;  and  both  of  the  worthies  mentioned 
had  been  too  much  for  him.  "But  that  ain't  any 
thing  to  do  with  us  now." 

"  If  you  should  take  this  boat,  and  sail  her 
away  from  her  moorings,  what  should  you  call  the 
act?"  asked  Ash,  pinning  his  leader  down  to  a 
point. 

"  I  should  call  it  taking  the  boat." 

"  Captain  Gildrock  would  call  it  stealing  her  ; 
and  the  court  on  this  side  of  the  lake  might  send 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  41 

you  to  the  house  of  correction,  or  some  such 
place,  for  a  year  or  two,"  continued  Ash  Burton, 
carrying  the  point  to  its  issue. 

"  We  didn't  come  out  here  to  steal  her,"  pro- 
tested Tom.  "  The  captain  would  say  we  had  no 
right  to  come  on  board  of  her ;  but  you  was  the 
first  one  to  get  on  board  of  her." 

"I  don't  think  the  principal  would  find  any 
fault  with  us  for  coming  on  board  of  her,  after  we 
were  wrecked  in  the  Thunderer,"  answered  Ash. 

"  Of  course  he  couldn't.  That's  one  thing. 
The  next  is,  shall  we  leave  in  the  boat,  or  stay 
on  board  of  her?  We  might  as  well  drown  as 
starve  to  death,"  argued  Tom. 

The  high-school  boy  scratched  his  head,  for 
there  seemed  to  be  some  force  in  the  late  cap- 
tain's argument.  He  was  opposed  to  going  with- 
out his  dinner  and  supper,  and  he  did  not  believe 
that  a  man  as  reasonable  as  Captain  Gildrock 
would  ask  such  a  sacrifice  of  him.  It  occurred 
to  him,  that  the  gardener  of  the  estate,  or  some 
of  the  stable-men,  might  be  at  home,  and  might 
be  called  to  their  assistance,  if  they  shouted  per- 
sistently for  help.  He  proposed  this  to  Tom,  but 
it  was  received  with  a  sneer. 


42  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

"  The  boats  are  locked  up  in  the  new  boat- 
house,  and  the  gardener  don't  keep  the  keys," 
replied  Tom.  ''  You  might  as  well  holler  for  the 
captain  himself,  at  Whitehall,  as  to  try  to  find 
any  one  on  the  place  when  he  is  away." 

"It  couldn't  do  any  great  harm  if  we  should 
sail  the  Goldwing  up  to  the  wharf,"  said  Ash,  as 
much  to  himself  as  to  his  companions.  He  did  not 
like  the  idea  of  taking  the  boat,  for  Captain  Gild- 
.rock  was  a  Tartar  to  deal  with  in  such  matters. 

"  Of  course  it  won't !  "  exclaimed  Tom.  "  We 
can't  do  any  other  way.  We  should  be  fools  to 
stay  here  and  starve  to  death,  within  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  of  the  land." 

Tom  had  made  up  his  mind  some  time  before, 
and  had  looked  the  boat  over  to  ascertain  whether 
or  not  she  was  available.  During  the  summer 
the  Goldwing  had  been  supplied  with  a  horizontal 
wheel,  and  the  tiller  could  not  be  locked  up  in 
the  cabin.  But  even  if  it  had  been,  the  cabin- 
doors  were  not  locked  as  usual,  for  the  reason 
that  one  of  tlie  crew  had  dropped  the  key  over- 
board, and  another  had  not  been  fitted.  Tom 
found  that  there  was  nothing  to  prevent  his  party 
from  getting  the  sloop  under  way. 


KIGGING    THE    BOAT.  43 

Ash  Burton  and  Sam  Spottwood  had  always 
been  hiw-abiding  young  men,  as  most  of  the 
others  on  board  were  not.  If  the  proposition  had 
been  made  on  shore,  to  go  off  and  take  the  Gold- 
wing  for  a  sail,  in  the  absence  of  the  owner,  they 
would  not  have  consented  to  take  part  in  such 
an  affair.  But  they  had  been  put  on  her  deck 
almost  in  spite  of  themselves;  they  had  saved 
themselves  from  possible  drowning  by  getting  on 
board  of  her,  for  they  did  not  believe  they  could 
swim  ,to  the  shore. 

Tom  Topover's  argument  had  its  influence 
upon  them  ;  and  they  finally  consented  to  assist 
in  taking  the  boat,  for  the  purpose  of  reaching  the 
shore.  The  moorings  were  cast  off,  and  the  main- 
sail hoisted  rather  by  tacit  consent  than  by  actual 
agreement.  Ash  assisted  in  the  work,  or  it  might 
never  have  been  done,  for  the  want  of  knowledge 
how  to  do  it  on  the  part  of  the  others. 

"  Who  is  to  be  captain  of  this  craft  ?  "  asked 
Ash,  when  the  matter  came  to  his  mind. 

"I  am,  of  course,"  replied  Tom  confidently. 

"All  right,"  added  Ash,  who  had  thought  he 
might  not  feel  confident  to  handle  the  sloop.  "  I 
will  obey  orders,  and  do  just  what  you  tell  me." 


44  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

Tom  went  to  the  wheel.  He  had  not  noticed 
it  particularly  before,  and  he  had  no  more  idea  of 
its  use  than  he  had  of  handling  a  quadrant  or  a 
log-line. 

"  What's  this  thing  ?  and  where  is  the  tiller  ?  " 
asked  Tom,  as  he  gave  the  wheel  a  twirl. 

Ash  Burton,  who  was  the  only  one  who  was 
competent  to  answer  the  question,  made  no  reply. 
The  boat  had  been  got  under  way  in  the  most 
unseamanlike  manner,  and  she  was  now  drifting 
towards  the  outlet.  There  was  wind  enough  to 
make  the  sail  bano-  about  above  the  heads  of  the 
party,  for  it  had  not  been  trimmed  to  any  course. 
Tom  studied  the  working  of  the  wheel  for  a  time, 
for  he  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  to 
be  used  instead  of  a  tiller.  He  turned  it  as  far 
as  he  could,  one  way,  and  then  looked  over  the 
stern,  to  note  the  position  of  the  rudder.  Then 
he  reversed  the  wheel,  and  looked  again.  He  had 
solved  the  mystery,  and  partially  got  the  hang  of 
the  thing. 

The  wind  was  west;  and  Tom  pulled  away  at 
the  main  sheet,  until,  guided  by  his  experience 
in  the  Thunderer,  he  filled  the  sail.  The  sloop 
started  off  at  a  speed  that  startled  the  ski23per. 


EIGGING  THE  BOAT.  45 

She  heeled  over,  and  frightened  some  of  the 
party,  who  were  not  used  to  the  movements  of 
a  sailboat.  By  feeling  his  way,  the  skipper  had 
brought  the  sloop  on  the  starboard  tack,  headed 
for  the  outlet.  The  direction  was  not  Tom's 
choice ;  but,  trimmed  as  she  was,  she  would  not 
go  any  other  way. 

Ash  Burton  wanted  to  protest  against  being 
carried  away  from  the  wharf,  but  he  would  not 
interfere  with  the  skipper. 


46  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A   MUTINY,   AXD   A   NEW   SKIPPER. 

A  SH  BURTON  did  not  believe  that  Tom 
■^-^  Topover  could  handle  the  Gold  wing ;  and 
he  was  anxious  to  have  him  appeal  to  him  for 
assistance,  which,  however,  he  had  decided  not  to 
render  while  the  present  incumbent  remained  as 
captain.  Tom  was  sailing  the  boat  aw^ay  from  the 
wharf,  and  two  of  the  party  at  least  were  strongly 
opposed  to  doing  so.  The  Avind  was  fair  for  the 
wharf,  but  Tom  had  not  the  most  remote  idea  of 
the  way  to  bring  the  sloop  about.  His  nautical 
education  had  been  confined  to  rowboats. 

Ash  walked  forward  to  the  forecastle,  where 
Sam  Spottwood  had  seated  himself.  He  was  fully 
resolved  to  give  the  skipper  rope  enough  so  that 
he  could  hang  himself,  and  prove  his  own  in- 
competency. There  was  hardly  wind  enough  in 
Beechwater  to  upset  the  boat,  and  the  emergency 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  47 

was  to  be  something  else  that  would  call  him  to 
command. 

"  We  are  going  away  from  the  wharf,"  said 
Sam,  when  his  friend  seated  himself  by  his  side. 

"  Of  course  we  are ;  I  am  not  exactly  blind. 
Tom  don't  know  enough  to  bring  the  boat  about, 
and  that's  what's  the  matter,"  replied  Ash. 

"I  believe  the  fellow  means  to  go  off  on  the 
lake,"  added  Sam. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it !  He  couldn't  get  her  down 
the  river  if  he  tried  a  week.  No ;  he  couldn't 
even  get  her  through  the  outlet,  for  at  the  turn 
he  will  have  the  wind  dead  ahead,"  chuckled  Ash. 

Tom  Topover  at  the  helm  looked  as  though  he 
were  supremely  contented  with  his  position.  He 
had  got  the  hang  of  the  wheel  so  far  as  to  be  able 
to  steer  the  sloop  when  there  were  no  complica- 
tions. By  trial  he  found  that  when  he  pulled  the 
spokes  towards  him,  sitting  on  the  weather  side, 
it  caused  the  bow  to  swing  in  the  same  direction. 
If  he  turned  the  wheel  too  much,  it  felt  as  though 
the  boat  would  tip  over.  Turning  it  too  much 
the  other  way,  made  the  wind  shake  the  sail  as 
it  was  "spilled."  This  was  the  extent  of  the 
skipper's  present  skill  in  sailing  a  boat. 


48  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

The  Goldwing  moved  rapidly  even  in  a  light 
wind,  and  she  was  soon  near  the  outlet.  It  looked 
as  though  Tom  meant  to  go  through,  for  he  made 
no  attempt  to  check  the  further  progress  of  the 
sloop  in  this  direction.  Sam  protested  that  he 
must  not  go  any  farther :  the  navigation  of  the 
outlet  was  difficult,  and  it  required  all  Dory 
Dornwood's  skill  to  carry  her  through  with  a 
west  wind. 

"Why  don't  you  say  something  to  him,  Ash?" 
asked  Sam,  beginning  to  be  anxious  about  the 
result  of  the  venture. 

"  He  is  the  skipper,  and  I  don't  want  to  inter- 
fere with  him,"  replied  Ash  very  decidedly. 

"  But  he  means  to  run  away  with  the  boat,  and 
we  don't  agree  to  that,"  remonstrated  Sam.  "  He 
don't  know  what  to  do,  even  if  he  don't  intend 
to  take  a  cruise  on  the  lake  ;  and  you  ought  to  tell 
him,  for  you  are  the  only  fellow  on  board  that 
knows  any  thing  about  a  sailboat.  He  will  get 
us  all  into  a  scrape  that  we  did  not  bargain  for." 

"I  tell  you  he  can't  get  through  the  outlet," 
replied  Ash  impatiently.  "When  he  gets  her 
aground,  as  you  may  be  sure  he  will,  all  we  have 
to  do  is  to  jump  ashore  and  go  home." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  49 

"  We  had  no  business  to  come  down  here  in  the 
boat,  and  I  want  to  get  out  of  the  muddle  before 
it  gets  any  hotter,"  persisted  Sam. 

"  You  have  a  tongue  in  your  head,  and  you 
know  how  to  use  it.  Why  don't  you  talk  to  Tom 
yourself?"  inquired  Ash. 

"  I  don't  know  any  thing  more  about  a  sailboat 
than  I  do  about  making  turtle-soup,"  added  Sam. 

"That  won't  prevent  you  from  telling  Tom 
to  come  about  and  go  to  the  wharf  by  the  boat- 
house." 

Sam  Spottwood  had  not  thought  of  this  before. 
If  he  told  the  skipper  to  go  back,  he  thought  he 
must  explain  how  it  was  to  be  done. 

"  This  won't  do,  Tom  Topover ! "  said  he  vig- 
orously, as  he  walked  aft  through  the  standing- 
room.  "  We  are  going  away  from  the  wharf  all 
the  time,  and  we  shall  never  get  there  at  this  rate." 

"  I  suppose  you  don't  know  much  abont  a  boat, 
but  you  have  to  sail  as  the  wind  will  let  you," 
replied  Tom  in  an  airy  manner,  as  though  he 
comprehended  the  subject  perfectly. 

"  I  don't  know  any  thing  about  a  sailboat,  but 
I  think  it  is  high  time  we  were  getting  near  the 
wharf,"  added  Sam. 


50  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

"  I  was  just  thinking  so  myself,  and  I  will  turn 
her  about  now,"  said  Tom,  as  he  cast  liis  eves 
about  him  like  a  prudent  sailor  before  lie  changes 
the  position  of  his  vessel. 

In  this  part  of  the  lake  the  country  was  more 
open  than  farther  up  the  creek,  and  the  wind 
from  the  great  lake  came  fresh  over  the  lowlands 
at  the  mouth  of  Beaver  River.  As  Sam  spoke, 
the  breeze  freshened  ;  and,  as  the  boat  happened 
to  have  a  "good  full,*'  she  heeled  over  till  her 
gunwale  was  very  near  the  surface  of  the  water. 
This  sudden  jerk  frightened  all  in  the  boat  except 
Ash  Burton ;  and  the  captain  more  than  any  one 
else,  for  he  felt  the  responsibility  of  his  position. 

Tom  Topover  was  bound  to  do  something  to 
counteract  the  pressure  of  the  wind  against  the 
sail ;  and  he  put  the  helm  hard  up,  instead  of  hard 
down  as  he  should  have  done.  He  neglected  to 
cast  off  the  main  sheet,  which  he  had  made  fast 
to  the  cleat.  The  result  was  that  the  boat  came 
as  near  going  over  as  she  could  in  that  amount  of 
wind.  Tlie  skipper  was  so  mixed  up  that  he  did 
not  know  what  to  do  next,  and  he  moved  the 
wheel  over  the  other  way  as  soon  as  the  boat  had 
gybed.     A  moment  later  the  (xoldwing  repeated 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  51 

the  operation,  for  she  was  not  used  to  being  han- 
dled in  this  clumsy  manner. 

Tom  whirled  the  wheel  from  one  side  to  the 
other,  for  he  did  not  know  what  he  was  about ; 
and  finally  she  was  again  headed  into  the  outlet, 
with  her  sail  drawing  on  the  starboard  tack.  He 
could  make  her  go  as  she  had  gone  before,  and 
that  was  all  he  could  do. 

Ash  Burton  was  used  to  the  movements  of  a 
boat,  even  when  badly  managed ;  and  he  was  not 
at  all  alarmed,  for  they  were  close  to  the  shore. 
He  laughed  at  the  struggles  of  the  skipper  to 
set  things  to  rights. 

"  I  thought  you  were  going  to  the  wharf,"  said 
Sam,  as  soon  as  he  had  recovered  in  some  measure 
from  his  fright.  "  You  are  headed  the  wrong 
way." 

"  She  won't  go  the  other  way,"  protested  Tom. 

"The  wind  is  west,  and  it  ought  to  take  us 
the  other  way  as  well  as  this,"  Sam  objected. 

"But  it  won't  take  us  that  way,"  replied  Tom 
sharply.     "  Haven't  I  just  tried  it  ?  " 

"But  you  don't  know  how  to  manage  the 
boat,"  protested  Sam,  disgusted  with  the  conduct 
of  the  captain. 


52  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

"  Wlio  says  I  don't  know  how?"  demanded 
Tom,  who  never  admitted  liis  inability  to  accom- 
plish any  thing  he  undertook  to  do. 

"I  say  so,  and  you  have  proved  it.  I  believe 
you  mean  to  take  us  out  on  the  lake." 

"Well,  what  if  I  do?  I  don't  believe  the 
fellows  will  object  to  a  trip  on  the  lake  in  this 
boat,"  replied  Tom,  willing  to  take  the  clew  the 
mutinous  hand  had  given  him. 

"  I  object  to  it,  and  for  one  I  won't  go  on 
any  trip  on  the  lake.  You  don't  know  how  to 
manage  the  boat,  and  you  will  drown  the  whole 
of  us." 

"  I  guess  I  know  what  I  am  about ;  and  if  you 
don't  dry  up,  Sam  Spottwood,  I'll  bat  you  over 
the  head.  I  am  the  captain  of  this  ship,  and  I 
ain't  goin'  to  have  any  feller  stick  his  nose  into 
my  baked  beans,"  returned  the  skipper  angrily. 

Sam  was  not  a  coward ;  but  he  had  never 
measured  his  skill  with  Tom,  and  he  did  not 
care  to  quarrel  in  the  boat.  He  went  forward 
again,  and  he  and  Ash  agreed  to  jump  ashore  as 
soon  as  they  got  a  chance. 

The  boat  was  now  fairly  in  the  outlet  of  Beech- 
water.     The  course  for  a  short  distance  was  the 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  53 

same  as  before.  The  current  could  be  felt  as 
the  lake  narrowed  into  a  stream  of  less  than  a 
twentieth  part  of  its  width,  and  the  Goldwing 
increased  her  pace.  The  turn  in  the  stream 
would  bring  the  wind  dead  ahead  in  a  moment. 
Tom  Topover  kept  his  eyes  wide  open ;  but  he 
might  as  well  have  shut  them  tight,  for  he  did 
not  know  where  the  channel  was,  and  he  could 
not  have  kept  the  boat  in  it  if  he  had  known. 

It  was  necessary  to  change  the  course  of  the 
sloop  to  prevent  her  from  running  into  the  bank, 
and  Tom  shifted  the  helm  to  send  her  in  the 
direction  of  the  most  water.  The  sail  shook,  and 
the  boat  began  to  swing  about,  as  it  was  quite 
proper  for  her  to  do  ;  but  he  met  her  with  the 
helm  too  soon,  not  knowing  any  thing  about  his 
business,  and  the  sloop  lost  her  headway,  so  that 
she  missed  stays.  The  next  moment  she  drifted 
into  the  shallow  water,  and  was  aground  close 
to  the  bank,  which  was  a  little  higher  than  the 
forecastle  of  the  craft. 

Ash  Burton  saw  his  opportunity  at  once,  and 
without  a  word  to  any  one  he  leaped  upon  the 
land.  Sam  Spottwood  followed  him  without  a 
moment's  delay.     The  sail  hung  loosely  from  the 


54  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

gaff,  and  was  slapping  and  banging  in  a  manner 
that  was  trying  to  the  nerves  of  the  inexperienced 
skipper.  The  noise  seemed  to  be  an  element  of 
danger  to  him,  though  it  was  entirely  harmless. 
He  saw  the  two  members  of  his  crew  leap  ashore, 
and  this  step  on  their  part  contributed  to  com- 
plete his  demoralization. 

"What  are  you  about,  Ash  Burton?"  de- 
manded Tom,  as  he  saw  his  late  companions  seat 
themselves  on  the  grass. 

"  About  to  quit  that  trip,"  replied  Ash.  "  I 
have  had  enough  of  it  if  3'ou  are  not  going 
to  the  wharf  as  we  agreed  in  the  beginning." 

"I  am  ready  to  go  to  the  wharf,  but  the  boat 
would  not  sail  that  way,"  the  skipper  explained. 

"  She  would  sail  that  way  as  well  as  the  other ; 
but  you  don't  know  how  to  handle  her,  and  you 
have  made  a  mess  of  the  whole  thing,"  continued 
the  mutineer. 

"  Perhaps  you  think  3'ou  can  sail  her  up  to  the 
wharf?"  added  Tom,  with  a  withering  sneer. 

"  I  know  I  could  before  she  got  aground." 

"No,  you  couldn't!  What's  the  use  of  talk- 
ing? You  couldn't  do  it,  for  no  Ixtat  will  go 
where    tlie   wind   won't    take    'cm.     I'll    bet    two 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  55 

cents  against  a  leather  cabbage  you  can't  do  it !  " 
continued  Tom,  who  seemed  suddenly  to  have 
recovered  his  usual  tone. 

"  Of  course  I  can't  now  that  the  boat  is 
aground,  with  her  bottom  buried  in  the  mud." 

"  We  can  shove  her  out  of  this  in  two  minutes, 
and  then  I  will  give  you  a  chance  to  see  what 
you  can  do,"  added  Tom,  who  thought  this  was 
a  good  way  of  getting  out  of  the  scrape  without 
confessing  his  own  incompetency. 

"All  right;  we  will  help  you,"  replied  Ash, 
who  felt  that  he  was  gaining  his  point.  "  I  will 
sail  the  boat  to  the  wharf  if  you  will  make  me 
captain,  for  I  can't  handle  the  sloop  unless  I  have 
full  power." 

"  All  right ;  you  shall  be  captain  till  we  get  to 
the  wharf,"  replied  Tom. 

"  Throw  the  painter  ashore,  and  perhaps  we 
can  pull  her  off,"  continued  Ash. 

Sam  and  he  manned  the  line ;  and  while  those 
on  board  pushed  with  the  oars  and  boat-hook, 
they  dragged  the  Goldwing  into  deep  water,  for 
only  her  bow  was  in  the  mud.  Ash  and  Sam 
returned  to  the  boat. 

With  an  oar  the  new  skipper  swung  the  boat 


56  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

about,  and  filled  the  sail  on  the  port  tack. 
Greatly  to  the  surprise  of  Tom,  the  Goldwing 
started  off  on  her  new  course  at  a  lively  rate.; 
and  a  moment  later  was  in  the  lake,  and  headed 
for  the  wharf. 


KIGGING   THE   BOAT.  57 


CHAPTER  V. 

A  QUESTION   OF   AUTHORITY. 

rr^HERE  was  no  difficulty  in  sailing  the  Gold- 
-*-  wing  up  the  lake,  any  more  than  there  had 
been  down  the  lake.  Though  Ash  Burton  had 
never  steered  with  a  wheel  before,  he  had  ob- 
served Tom  Topover  while  he  was  at  the  helm, 
and  he  was  soon  familiar  with  its  management. 
The  late  captain  was  greatly  annoyed  to  see  the 
sloop  going  along  so  well  in  the  direction  in  which 
she  would  not  go  before ;  but  Ash  was  too  much 
delighted  with  his  occupation  to  think  of  indul- 
ging in  any  triumphant  expressions,  and  he  said 
nothing.  Like  most  boys  who  live  near  the  water, 
he  was  ambitious  to  become  a  boatman,  though 
his  experience  had  been  very  limited. 

"  The  wind  is  better  now  than  it  was  when  I 
had  her,"  said  Tom,  after  he  had  watched  the 
motion  of  the  sloop  for  a  time.  "  She  goes  along 
very  well  now." 


58  ALL  TAUT;   OR, 

"  The  wind  is  exactly  the  same  now  as  it  was 
before,"  added  Sam  Spottwood,  when  he  saw  that 
the  new  skipper  made  no  reply  to  this  remark. 
"You  can  see  the  vane  on  Captain  Gildrock's 
stable,  and  it  points  exactly  to  the  west  as  it  has 
all  day." 

"  I  don't  care  nothin'  about  the  vane,  I  say  the 
wind  is  better  than  it  was  when  I  was  steering 
her,"  returned  Tom  rather  sharply.  "  You  could 
see  for  yourself  that  she  wouldn't  go  this  way 
when  I  had  her." 

"  That  was  only  because  you  did  not  know  how 
to  handle  her,  and  Ash  does,"  added  Sam;  and 
one  of  the  original  Topovers  would  liardly  have 
ventured  to  make  such  a  remark. 

"  If  you  say  that  again,  I  will  bat  you  over  the 
head,  Sam  Spottwood,"  retorted  Tom,  shaking  his 
head. 

"I  have  said  it  once,  and  that  is  enough,"  con- 
tinued Sam,  who  had  not  yet  been  subdued  by  a 
thrashing. 

"  We  are  almost  over  to  the  wharf,"  interposed 
Ash,  who  wished  to  prevent  a  quarrel.  "The 
only  way  to  get  to  tlie  grounds  from  the  pier  is 
throuixh   the   boat-house,    and   the   doors  are  all 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  59 

locked.  I  did  not  think  of  it  before,  but  we 
can't  land  there." 

"We  don't  want  to  land  there  or  anywhere 
else  yet  a  while,"  growled  Tom,  for  the  success  of 
Ash  in  handling  the  sloop  had  reduced  him  to  a 
very  bad  humor. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  use  this  boat  any  longer, 
do  you?"  asked  the  new  skipper. 

"  If  you  can  make  her  go,  I  can,"  answered  the 
Topover  sourly ;  "  and  I'm  going  to  do  it." 

"  We  can  land  at  the  old  wharf,"  continued 
Ash,  as  he  looked  about  him  without  heeding  the 
remark  of  the  leader  of  the  gang. 

"  We  don't  land  at  the  old  wharf  or  any  other," 
added  Tom.  "  I'm  going  to  sail  this  boat  for  an 
hour  or  two  before  I  go  on  shore." 

"  You  can't  sail  her  :  you  don't  know  any  more 
about  a  boat  than  a  goose !  "  exclaimed  Sam  im- 
prudently, though  he  spoke  the  literal  truth. 

"  Say  that  again,  Sam  Spottwood ! "  blustered 
Tom,  doubling  his  right  fist,  and  looking  very 
savagely  at  the  speaker. 

"  You  are  not  deaf,  and  you  heard  what  I  said. 
It's  no  use  for  me  to  say  it  again,"  replied  Sam. 

"  You  dassent  say  it  again  !  " 


60  ALL    TAUT  ;    OR, 

"  We  took  this  boat  to  get  ashore  in  after  we 
had  been  cast  away,  and  I  don't  believe  in  using 
her  any  more  than  is  necessary,"  said  Sam,  deem- 
ing it  wise  to  change  the  subject. 

"  I  don't  let  any  fellow  tell  me  that  I  can't 
handle  a  boat,"  replied  Tom. 

''  I  said  it,  and  I  shall  not  take  it  back,  for  it  is 
true ;  and  you  proved  it,  Tom  Topover,"  returned 
Sam  boldly,  for  neither  he  nor  Ash  had  ever 
submitted  to  the  bullying  of  the  bravo,  though 
they  had  thus  far  escaped  a  fight. 

But  Tom  had  a  feeling  that  either  of  them 
would  fight,  and  he  had  always  been  obliging 
enough  to  stop  short  of  a  blow. 

Ash  Burton  was  delighted  with  the  occupation 
of  steering  the  boat,  she  worked  so  prettily ;  and 
he  was  sorry  when  she  approached  the  landing. 
He  had  been  on  the  point  of  proposing  another 
turn  around  the  lake,  when  his  predecessor  in 
office  announced  his  determination  to  sail  the 
boat  himself.  This  put  a  new  aspect  upon  the 
business  of  using  a  boat  borrowed  without  leave. 
All  his  manly  virtue  came  back  to  him,  and  he 
resolved  not  to  remain  any  longer  in  the  boat 
if  Tom  was  to  sail  her. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  61 

By  this  time  the  Goklwiiig  was  not  more  than 
a  hundred  feet  from  the  wharf,  and  it  was  time 
to  decide  what  should  be  done.  If  he  went  to  the 
wharf,  the  party  would  be  no  better  off  than  on 
board  of  the  sloop,  for  they  could  not  get  away 
from  it  without  climbing  over  the  boat-house.  On 
the  other  hand,  if  tlie  present  skipper  came  about, 
Tom  Topover  would  insist  upon  taking  the  helm. 
But  the  course  of  the  yacht  must  be  changed  at 
once,  or  she  would  run  into  the  wharf. 

Ash  Burton  put  the  helm  hard  down  at  a  ven- 
ture, and  without  waiting  to  decide  the  main 
question.  Things  looked  stormy  ahead  to  him. 
The  sloop  promptly  came  up  to  the  wind,  and  the 
boom  went  over  in  readiness  for  the  other  tack. 
It  would  not  take  more  than  a  minute  or  two  for 
the  lively  craft  to  reach  the  old  wharf.  Ash  real- 
ized that  he  was  still  the  captain,  and  by  the 
consent  of  Tom.  He  headed  for  the  landing-place 
he  had  chosen. 

The  wind  was  blowing  squarely  upon  the  old 
wharf,  which  made  it  very  difficult  for  an  inex- 
perienced skipper  to  bring  the  boat  alongside  of 
it.  The  structure  was  low  enough  to  allow  the 
boom  to  swing  out  over  it,  and  thus  spill  the  sail 


62  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

as  the  craft  came  wp  to  it ;  but  the  manoeuvre 
requires  skill,  and  the  new  skipper  was  not  con- 
fident enough  in  his  own  powers  to  undertake  it. 
He  chose  a  safer  waj- ;  and  wlien  he  came  up  with 
the  wharf,  he  threw  the  sloop  up  into  the  wind, 
intending  to  lower  the  sail  and  let  her  fall  off  till 
she  came  to  the  landing-place. 

He  called  Sam  Spottwood,  and  pointed  out  to 
him  the  halyards.  Tom  was  busy  about  some- 
thing else  just  then,  and  did  not  notice  what  the 
skipper  was  saying.  At  the  right  moment.  Ash 
put  the  helm  down,  and  when  the  sail  began  to 
shake,  he  shouted  to  Sam,  who  had  returned  to 
the  forecastle. 

"  Let  go ! "  was  his  order,  and  the  hand  ad- 
dressed understood  him. 

The  halyards  were  both  cast  off;  and  the  sail 
came  down,  aided  by  Sam,  with  a  rush. 

"What  are  you  about.  Ash  Burton?"  de- 
manded Tom  Topover,  as  the  canvas  came  down 
on  his  head,  and  filled  him  with  consternation,  for 
he  thought  something  had  l)roken.  "  What's  the 
matter  now?" 

"Nothing  at  all,"  replied  the  skipper  pleas- 
antly.    "  Stand  by  with  the  boat-hook,  Sam." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  63 

"What  do  you  want  with  a  boat-hook?"  asked 
Tom,  who  had  been  studying  the  situation  with 
a  view  to  sailing  the  boat  himself  again. 

"  Fend  off,  Sam,"  added  the  captain.  "  We 
don't  want  to  strike  the  wharf  too  hard :  it 
might  injure  the  boat." 

"  We  don't  want  to  strike  it  at  all !  "  blustered 
Tom,  springing  to  his  feet,  and  taking  in  the 
new  order  of  things  at  a  glance.  "Is  the  sail 
broke,  that  made  it  come  down  ? " 

"Nothing  is  the  matter  with  it,  so  far  as  I 
know,"  replied  Ash. 

"  What  made  it  come  down,  then  ?  " 

"  Because  I  ordered  Sam  to  let  go  the  halyards, 
and  he  did  as  I  told  him." 

"You  told  him  to  let  down  the  sail?"  de- 
manded Tom. 

"  Of  course  I  did :  if  I  hadn't,  the  boat  might 
have  been  smashed  against  the  wharf,"  Ash 
explained. 

"What  did  you  come  near  the  wharf  for?" 
growled  Tom. 

"  Fend  off,  Sam,"  added  the  skipper. 

By  this  time  the  Goldwing  was  so  near  that  the 
wharf  could  be  reached  with  the  boat-hook,  and 


64  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

Sam  fastened  to  it.  He  eased  off  the  Ijoat  so 
that  she  came  alongside  without  any  crash.  The 
sail  was  in  the  standing-room,  and  there  was  no 
pressure  on  her,  so  that  she  behaved  like  a  lamb. 
Ash  Burton,  seeing  that  his  mission  on  board 
was  completed,  went  forward  to  join  his  friend 
and  crony. 

"  You  did  this  on  purpose  I "  stormed  Tom, 
when  he  realized  the  situation. 

"  Of  course  I  did,"  replied  Ash,  with  abundant 
good-nature,  as  he  had  carried  his  point. 

"  What  did  you  bring  us  in  here  for  ?  Who 
told  you  to  do  it?"  demanded  Tom. 

"  As  I  was  the  captain  of  this  craft,  I  did  not 
take  any  orders  from  any  one.  Wasn't  I  the 
skipper,  with  your  consent,  till  we  came  to  the 
wharf?"  asked  Ash. 

"  Didn't  I  say  I  wanted  to  sail  her  myself?  " 

"  I  don't  care  what  you  said  :  I  was  the  cap- 
tain, and  I  have  brought  the  boat  to  the  wharf." 

It  looked  as  though  there  were  going  to  be  a 
storm,  and  Ash,  without  hurrying  himself,  stepped 
on  the  wharf.  He  was  followed  by  Sam,  the 
four  original  Topovers  remaining  in  the  standing- 
room.     Their  leader,  though  no  process  of  reason 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  65 

could  convince  him  against  liis  inclination,  was 
nonplussed  at  the  argument  of  the  retiring 
skipper. 

Just  at  that  moment  the  sound  of  a  sharp 
whistle  came  across  the  little  lake.  It  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  succession  of  shouts,  and  all  the 
party  looked  in  the  direction  from  which  the 
sounds  came.  On  the  opposite  shore  stood  half 
a  dozen  boys,  who  proved  to  be  the  rest  of  the 
Topover  gang.  Some  of  them  w^ere  among  the 
new  recruits  to  the  group  who  ran  together,  and 
were  inclined  to  think  more  of  Ash  and  Sam 
than  of  the  veritable  leader.  Otliers  were  origi- 
nal associates  of  those  in  the  boat,  though  of  a 
milder  type  of  rascality. 

"  There's  the  rest  of  our  fellows !  "  exclaimed 
Tom,  willing  to  dodge  the  question  of  authority 
which  had  just  come  up. 

"  Come  over  here,  and  give  us  a  sail ! "  yelled 
one  of  the  party  over  in  the  grove,  loud  enough 
to  be  understood. 

"  Where  are  jon  going  now,  Ash  ? "  asked 
Tom,  in  the  mildest  tone  he  could  command. 

"  The  fun  for  to-day  is  all  over,  and  we  may 
as  well  go  home,"  replied  the  last  skipper. 


66  ALL  TAUT  ;   OR, 

'^  We  are  going  to  take  a  little  sail  in  this  boat 
now  that  we  have  her,  and  there  is  plenty  of  fun 
ahead,"  continued  Tom.  "Won't  you  go  with 
us?" 

"  You  don't  know  how  to  handle  the  boat, 
and  I  won't  go  in  her  with  you  for  skipper," 
interposed  Sam  Spottwood,  before  Ash  had  time 
to  reply.  "  You  came  very  near  upsetting  us  once 
or  twice,  and  I  don't  risk  my  head  with  j-ou." 

"  I  can  handle  the  boat  as  well  as  Ash  can," 
answered  Tom,  but  his  manner  was  now  adapted 
to  carrying  his  point.  "  We  might  as  well  have 
a  sail  as  go  home  without  one.  Captain  Gildrock 
is  away  in  the  Sylph,  and  he  won't  be  back  till 
dark.  Before  that  time  we  will  put  the  boat 
back  where  we  found  her,  and  no  one  will  be 
the  wiser  for  the  fun  we  have  had." 

"  You  are  more  likely  to  leave  her  on  the 
bottom  of  the  lake  than  you  are  to  put  her  back 
at  her  moorings,"  returned  Sam. 

Nim  Splugger  and  Kidd  Digfield  then  began 
to  talk  in  a  low  tone  to  their  leader.  They  had 
sense  enough  to  see  that  Tom  could  not  handle 
the  boat,  and  very  likely  they  feared  that  the 
prediction  of  Sam  Spottwood  would  be  verified. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  67 


CHAPTER   VI. 

A  ROW   ON   BOARD   THE   GOLDWING. 

"  ~T  DON'T  care  who  is  captain  of  the  boat," 
-^  said  Tom  Topover,  after  his  companions  had 
talked  him  into  something.  "  Come  on  board 
again,  Ash  Burton,  and  you  shall  be  captain." 

"  That's  so ;  come  back,  we  want  you  to  be 
captain,"  added  Kidd  Digfield,  who  knew  more 
than  his  companions  about  a  boat,  though  that 
was  saying  very  little. 

"What  do  you  say,  Sam?"  added  Ash,  turn- 
ing to  his  crony. 

"I  don't  believe  in  it,"  replied  the  other  de- 
cidedly. "  You  can't  depend  upon  Tom  Topover. 
If  you  are  the  skipper,  he  will  insist  upon  your 
obeying  his  orders  as  he  did  a  little  while  ago." 

"I  will  give  it  all  up  to  Ash  Burton,"  inter- 
posed Tom,  who  had  heard  a  part  of  Sam's 
remarks. 


68  ALL   TAUT  :    OR, 

Ash  was  strongly  tempted ;  fur  if  there  was  any 
one  thing  in  the  world  that  he  liked  better  than 
any  thing  else,  it  w^as  boating.  At  Westport  he 
had  sometimes  sailed  in  the  Silver  Moon,  and 
had  learned  a  little  about  the  management  of 
such  a  craft,  though  he  was  very  far  from  being 
a  skilful  boatman. 

"  Tom  will  get  the  helm,  and  then  the  boat 
will  go  to  the  bottom  if  they  go  out  on  the 
lake,"  argued  Sam. 

"I  don't  believe  in  using  the  boat,  myself," 
replied  Ash  faintly;  for  he  was  sighing  for  the 
delight  of  holding  the  wheel  of  the  Goldwing 
wdiile  she  dashed  at  her  lively  pace  over  the 
water.  He  could  hardly  refuse  the  invitation  of 
the  Topovers. 

"  Tom  don't  know  any  thing  at  all  about  the 
boat,  and  that  fact  makes  him  reckless.  In  my 
opinion,  he  will  sink  the  boat,  and  there  will  be 
an  awful  row  in  Genverres  about  this  evening 
when  the  Sylph  returns,"  continued  Sam,  seeing 
tliat  his  friend  was  inclined  to  yield. 

"Ash  lUirton  shall  have  the  full  command, 
and  I  won't  interfere  with  him,"  said  Tom;  but 
the  two  boys  on  the  wharf  did  not  see  the  wink 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  69 

he  gave  to  Niiii  Splugger  when  he  uttered  the 
gracious  words. 

"Some  of  them  will  be  drowned,"  reasoned 
Sam. 

"Then  I  think  I  ought  to  go  with  them!" 
exclaimed  Ash,  suddenly  crushing  his  scruples. 
"I  don't  know  much  about  a  boat,  but  I  know 
more  than  any  of  the  rest  of  the  fellows;  and  I 
can  keep  the  Goldwing  on  the  top  of  the  water, 
if  nothing  more." 

"We  had  better  keep  out  of  the  scrape," 
added  Sam,  but  more  weakly  than  before,  for 
he  was  almost  as  fond  of  sailing  as  his  friend. 

"  The  rest  of  the  fellows  are  on  the  other  side 
of  the  water,  and  we  shall  have  to  take  them  in. 
If  things  don't  work  right  when  we  get  across  the 
lake,  we  can  jump  out  of  the  boat  again  ;  and  we 
shall  be  nearer  home  there  than  we  are  here," 
said  Ash,  almost  vanquished  by  his  own  logic. 

He  wanted  to  go  so  much,  that  it  was  easy  for 
him  to  persuade  himself  that  it  was  his  duty  to 
do  so  in  order  to  prevent  Tom  from  drowning 
himself  and  his  companions.  The  conflict  in  his 
mind  ended  by  his  going  on  board  of  the  sloop, 
followed,  more  .reluctantly,  by  his  crony. 


70  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

''  I  want  this  thing  understood  before  I  go," 
said  Ash,  as  he  walked  aft  to  the  standing-room. 
"  The  wind  has  breezed  up  a  good  deal  while  we 
have  been  talking  about  it,  and  it  would  be  as 
easy  as  putting  your  fingers  in  the  fire  to  tip  the 
sloop  over." 

"  We  understand  it  well  enough :  you  are  to 
be  captain,  and  all  the  rest  of  us  will  obey  your 
orders  —  as  long  as  we  like,"  replied  Tom  im- 
patiently, and  uttering  the  last  words  so  that 
they  were  heard  only  by  Nim  Splugger. 

"  But  I  want  it  made  as  clear  as  day  that  I  am 
to  handle  the  boat.  I  know  enough  about  a 
sailboat  to  keep  her  right  side  up,  and  I  don't 
want  to  be  spilled  into  the  lake  by  any  fellow 
that  don't  know  as  much  about  the  business  as 
I  do." 

''We  all  agree  to  it,"  interposed  Kidd  Digfield. 
"It's  no  use  to  talk  all  day  about  it." 

The  last  speaker  knew  the  halyards  from  the 
boat-hook ;  and  he  proceeded  to  hoist  the  sail, 
assisted  by  Pell  Sankland.  Ash  considered  it 
understood  that  he  was  to  be  skipper  till  the 
end  of  the  cruise,  which  he  did  not  intend  should 
last  for  more  than  an  hour  or  two.     He  took  his 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  71 

place  at  the  wheel,  and  gave  the  necessary  orders 
for  getting  the  sloop  under  way.  The  fresh 
breeze  took  the  sail,  and  in  a  couple  of  minutes 
she  was  across  the  lake.  With  the  wind  off  the 
shore,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  making  a  landing  at 
the  little  stage  which  served  as  a  landing-place 
for  boats  from  the  other  side. 

"  Where  is  the  Thunderer,  Tom  ?  "  asked  Chick 
Penny,  as  he  stepped  on  board. 

"She  came  to  grief,"  replied  Tom.  "She 
dropped  to  pieces,  and  tipped  us  all  into  the 
lake." 

"  That's  just  what  I  supposed  she  would  do," 
replied  Chick.  "  I  wouldn't  trust  my  old  boots 
in  her,  to  say  nothing  of  my  precious  carcass." 

Hop  Cabright  wanted  to  know  how  they  had  got 
hold  of  the  Goldwing,  and  the  story  of  the  morn- 
ing's adventures  had  to  be  told.  But  Ash  did 
not  wait  for  it  to  be  finished.  He  got  under  way 
again,  and  stood  tow^ards  the  outlet.  More  than 
half  of  the  recruits,  making  the  whole  party  a 
dozen,  were  fellows  like  Sam  and  himself;  and 
he  felt  more  at  home  in  the  Goldwing  than  he 
had  before.  But  five  of  them  were  original  Top- 
overs  ;  which  meant  that  they  did  not  scruple  to 


72  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

steal  a  boat  when  they  got  a  chance,  or  to  rob  an 
orchard,  or  to  break  all  the  windows  in  the  side 
of  a  building  for  simple  fun. 

The  other  seven  of  the  party  were  very  fond 
of  fun,  and  could  be  easily  led  into  mischief, 
though  they  had  a  better  idea  of  the  rights  of 
property.  In  the  dozen  who  filled  the  standing- 
room  of  the  sloop  were  all  shades  of  moral  ob- 
liquity, from  Tom  Topover,  wdio  respected  no 
person's  rights  except  his  own,  up  to  Sam  Spott- 
wood,  w^liose  greatest  failing  was  the  weakness 
which  did  not  always  induce  him  to  do  what 
he  knew  was  right. 

The  narrow  limits  of  Beechwater  did  not  satisfy 
the  desire  of  the  skipper  for  a  sail,  and  he  stood 
boldly  into  the  outlet.  Possibly,  if  the  sloop  had 
not  been  aground  a  little  before  at  the  first  sharp 
turn  in  the  stream,  he  would  have  sailed  her  into 
the  mud  which  the  current  deposited  there.  But 
he  was  forewarned  by  the  former  accident,  and 
lie  tacked  before  the  keel  touched  l)ottom. 

More  by  good  chance  than  by  the  possession  of 
any  skill  in  navigating  this  difficult  stream.  Ash 
got  the  boat  througli  the  bend,  and  it  was  then 
plain  sailing  to  the  river.     It  was  wide  enough 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  73 

here  to  beat,  and  in  half  an  hour  more  the  Gold- 
wing  was  in  the  great  lake.  Ash  enjoyed  his 
occupation  more  than  eVer  before,  and  he  was  in 
a  state  of  exuberant  delight. 

"I  guess  ril  take  that  wheel  now,  Ash  Burton," 
said  Tom  Topover,  with  a  broad  grin  on  his  ugly 
face,  when  the  boat  was  fairly  out  of  the  river. 

"  That  wasn't  the  trade,"  replied  Ash. 

''  I  don't  care  whether  it  was  the  trade  or  not : 
I  am  going  to  steer  now,"  added  Tom  very  de- 
cidedly. 

"Didn't  you  agree  that  I  should  be  captain  on 
this  cruise  ? "  demanded  Ash,  keeping  down  his 
indignation  as  well  as  he  could. 

"  That  was  only  to  get  you  to  come  along," 
replied  Tom,  with  the  most  barefaced  effrontery. 
"I  had  a  point  to  carry,  and  I  carried  it.  Get  out 
of  my  way.  Ash  Burton,  and  I  will  take  the  thing." 

"  You  don't  know  how  to  handle  the  boat,  and 
I  object,"  interposed  Sam  Spottwood. 

"  Shut  up,  Sam ! "  said  Tom,  turning  a  savage 
glance  at  the  last  speaker. 

"  I  shall  not  shut  up  !  You  made  a  fair  agree- 
ment that  Ash  should  be  captain,  or  I  would  not 
have  come,"  retorted  Sam  boldly. 


74  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

"  I  should  not  either,"  added  Ash. 

"  It's  no  use  of  jawing  about  it.  I  am  going  to 
steer  this  boat  the  rest  of  the  cruise,  and  "  — 

"  No,  you  are  not !  You  have  tried  to  cheat  us, 
and  we  w^ill  stick  to  the  trade  we  made  fairly," 
insisted  Sam. 

"  Shut  up,  Sam  Spottwood,  or  I'll  bat  you  over 
the  head  I "  said  Tom  fiercely,  and  he  turned 
towards  Sam  with  his  fists  in  fighting  condition. 

"  You  don't  know  how  to  handle  a  boat,  and  I 
for  one  won't  submit  to  have  the  bargain  broken," 
protested  Sam,  his  blood  heated  up  to  fever  tem- 
perature. 

"  Don't  hit  him,  Tom !  "  interposed  Kidd  Dig- 
field. 

"Ash  is  captain,  and  he  ought  to  steer,"  shouted 
Chick  Penny  from  the  forecastle. 

"  Ash  must  keep  the  wheel,"  added  Hop  Cab- 
right  ;  and  so  said  several  of  the  others. 

Tom  Topover  looked  at  them,  and  then  he  was 
mad  in  good  earnest.  He  declared  that  he  was 
going  to  take  the  wheel,  and  he  wanted  any  fellow 
that  objected  to  step  out  into  the  standing-room, 
and  he  would  "polish  him  off"  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye. 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  75 

"  I  object,  and  I  shall  stick  to  it.  A  trade's  a 
trade,  and  I  don't  think  any  fellow  has  a  right  to 
back  out  of  it,"  Sam  responded. 

Tom  was  furious  at  this  remark ;  and  he  made 
a  pass  at  Sam,  who  was  seated  by  the  side  of  the 
skipper,  with  his  fist. 

"  None  of  that,  Tom  ! "  interposed  Ash,  step- 
ping between  the  bully  and  his  intended  victim. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it,  Ash 
Burton?"  yelled  Tom,  and  he  aimed  a  blow  at 
the  skipper,  which  was  intended  to  annihilate 
him. 

Ash  warded  off  the  blow';  but  when  another 
was  aimed  at  him,  he  struck  back.  The  original 
Topovers  attempted  to  interfere,  but  the  fury  of 
Tom  could  brook  no  opposition  from  friend  or 
foe.  The  result  was  a  general  row.  The  recruits 
to  the  gang  took  sides  with  Asli  and  Sam,  and 
they  did  their  best  to  support  him  ;  but  before  the 
affair  could  be  decided  either  way,  about  a  hogs- 
head of  water  rolled  into  the  standing-room  over 
the  washboard. 

The  cooling  effects  of  this  inundation  were 
immediately  perceptible.  Tom  had  been  thrown 
down  by  the  skipper,  and  the  wave  had  nearly 


76  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

drowned  liini.  All  the  others  were  wet  through, 
and  the  sloop  was  rolling  as  though  she  intended 
to  do  the  same  thing  again.  Ash  .was  boatman 
enough  to  understand  the  situation.  He  had  put 
the  helm  up  when  he  was  attacked,  for  the  boat 
had  a  tendency  to  broach  to ;  and  she  had  fallen 
off  till  she  presented  the  broad  side  of  her  main- 
sail to  the  stiff  breeze. 

The  boat  had  come  up  lieaded  the  other  way. 
With  the  water  splashing  about  in  the  standing- 
room,  the  skipper  came  about  again,  and  lieaded 
the  sloop  on  her  former  course.  The  cold  water 
had  cooled  off  Tom,  and  just  now  he  was  wring- 
ing out  his  coat.  He  appeared  to  submit  to  the 
situation  for  the  present.  Sam  desired  to  return, 
but  Ash  wanted  to  fight  the  battle  out  if  it  was 
renewed  again. 

The  Goldwing  had  dipped  up  the  water  when 
she  was  off  the  mouth  of  Porter's  Bay.  Ash  set 
his  companions  to  baling  out  the  standing-room, 
and  with  all  the  vessels  on  board,*  the  work  was 
soon  finished.  Before  she  was  up  with  the 
point  beyond  the  bay,  the  sun  had  dried  tlie 
floor  and  seats,  and  she  was  the  cleaner  for  her 
bath. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  77 

"  Boat  ahoy ! "  shouted  some  one  from  the 
point,  which  was  covered  with  trees. 

A  glance  in  the  direction  from  which  the  hail 
came  informed  the  boys  that  there  was  a  picnic 
on  the  point. 


78  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 


CHAPTER   VII. 

AN   UNEXPECTED   APPEARAXCE. 

"  f^^    shore ! "    replied    Ash    Burton,    to    the 

^  haih 

"  We  shoukl  like  to  hire  your  boat  for  a  while : 
can  we  do  it  if  we  pay  well  for  her?"'  continued 
the  speaker  on  the  point. 

"  She  is  not  to  let,"  replied  the  skipper. 

"  We  will  give  you  two  dollars  an  hour  for  her, 
with  the  person  to  manage  her,"  continued  the 
gentleman  on  the  shore. 

"  We  have  to  go  home  to  dinner  pretty  soon," 
added  Ash. 

"We  will  give  you  all  a  dinner  into  the  bar- 
gain," persisted  tlie  stranger. 

"  Take  him  up ! "  said  Tom  Topover  very 
decidedly. 

"  Take  him  up ! "  repeated  several  others. 
"  We  shall  get  home  too  late  for  dinner." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  79 

"  We  have  no  business  to  let  her,"  added  Sam 
Spottwood  earnestly. 

"We  have  just  as  much  right  to  let  her  as  we 
have  to  use  her  at  all,"  added  Ash.  "Two  dol- 
lars an  hour  is  a  big  price." 

The  last  speaker  became  less  earnest  when  he 
saw  that  his  friend  was  inclined  to  favor  the 
proposition.  Doubtless  the  promise  of  the  dinner 
was  quite  as  tempting  as  the  money  that  was 
offered,  though  not  one  of  the  crew  of  the  Gold- 
wing  did  not  think  himself  rich  when  he  had  a 
dime. 

"  Will  you  all  stay  on  shore  while  I  take  the 
party  out  ?  "  asked  Ash  Burton,  turning  to  his 
companions,  when  his  crony  weakened. 

The  party  replied  in  the  affirmative  to  the 
question,  not  even  Tom  Topover  making  any 
objection  to  the  plan.  Ash  ran  for  a  small 
staging  which  answered  for  a  wharf,  and  the 
Topovers  all  went  on  shore  peaceably.  The 
picnickers  were  having  a  grand  time ;  for  they 
had  music  and  dancing,  and  there  seemed  to  be 
at  least  a  hundred  of  them.  Farther  back  from 
the  lake  were  half  a  dozen  long  furniture-wagons 
and  other  vehicles,  while  a  great  number  of  horses 


80  ALL  TAUT  ;   OR, 

were  picketed  near  them.  It  was  evident  tiiat 
the  party  had  come  from  some  distance  back  in 
the  country,  and  were  not  likely  to  know  any 
thing  about  the  ownership  of  the  Goldwing. 

About  a  dozen  ladies  and  only  two  gentlemen 
were  embarked  in  the  boat,  and  Ash  got  under 
way.  There  was  just  breeze  enough  to  make  it 
lively  and  pleasant  sailing.  The  sea  was  regular 
and  moderate,  so  that  there  was  nothing  to  call 
for  any  extra  skill  on  the  part  of  the  skipper. 
The  wind  being  west,  he  ran  down  the  lake  as 
far  as  Split  Rock,  and  then  returned.  He  did 
not  get  her  best  speed  out  of  the  sloop,  and  by 
the  time  he  reached  the  wharf  the  hour  had 
expired. 

The  party  were  landed ;  and  Ash  supposed  the 
contract  had  been  completed,  especially  as  the 
gentleman  in  charge  handed  him  four  half-dollars, 
of  which  he  seemed  to  have  an  abundant  supply. 
But  the  excursionists  were  hardly  on  shore  be- 
fore another  gentleman  appeared,  followed  by  a 
dozen  more  ladies,  and  took  the  boat  for  another 
trip. 

Ash  did  not  object,  and  he  was  gone  the  same 
time  with  the  second  party.      On  his  return  to 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  81 

the  wharf  he  found  another  party  ready  for  him, 
with  the  Topovers  assembled  on  the  wharf.  The 
gentleman  who  had  paid  him  before  gave  him 
four  more  half-dollars,  and  he  spoke  for  the  boat 
for  the  third  trip. 

Ash  mildly  suggested  that  he  had  had  no  din- 
ner. Though  he  had  for  the  last  two  hours  been 
the  undisputed  skipper  of  the  Gold  wing,  he  had 
not  ye  become  so  ethereal  as  to  lose  his  boyish 
tendency  to  be  hungry.  The  gentleman  said  they 
were  in  no  hurry,  and  they  would  wait  for  the 
skipper  to  take  his  dinner. 

"I'll  take  this  party  out,  Ash  Burton,"  inter- 
posed Tom  Topover,  ^th  cheek  enough  to  fit 
out  a  lightning-rod  agent.  "You  can  get  your 
dinner  while  I  am  gone." 

"  That  won't  do,"  replied  Ash,  in  the  mildest 
of  tones. 

"What's  the  reason  it  won't  do?"  demanded 
Tom,  beginning  to  bluster.  "I  can  handle  the 
boat  as  well  as  you  can." 

"You  don't  know  any  thing  at  all  about  a 
sailboat,"  added  Sam  Spottwood,  more  for  the 
benefit  of  the  gentleman  in  charge  of  the  party 
than  to  irritate  Tom. 


82  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

"Say  that  again,  and  I'll  knock  you  into  the 
middle  of  last  week,''  bullied  Tom.  "  I  am  going 
with  this  party,  and  Ash  can  get  his  dinner." 

"  We  prefer  the  one  who  has  managed  the  boat 
before,"  interposed  the  gentleman,  who  measured 
Tom  at  a  glance. 

"  I  didn't  nearly  tip  the  boat  over,  and  fill  her 
half  full  of  water,  as  Ash  Burton  did,"  added 
Tom. 

''It  was  you  that  made  the  row,  so  that  the 
captain  had  to  leave  the  wheel,"  retorted  Sam, 
who  did  not  seem  to  scare  at  all  at  the  bluster 
of  the  leader. 

"  I  am  going  to  sail  this  party,  or  the  boat  don't 
go  again,"  said  Tom  decidedly. 

"  No,  you  are  not,  for  Ash  is  the  skipper,  and 
we  all  agreed  to  obey  his  orders,"  added  Sam, 
retiring  from  the  wharf  in  order  to  make  room 
for  the  ladies. 

The  rest  of  the  party,  with  the  exception  of 
Tom,  had  done  this  before ;  and  he  followed  Sam. 
The  gentleman  began  to  assist  the  ladies  to  their 
seats  in  the  standing-room,  for  he  thought  the 
skipper  could  settle  the  dispute. 

"  What's  the  reason  I'm  not  going  to  sail  that 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  83 

party  if  I  want  to?"  demanded  Tom,  following 
up  Sam  Spottwood. 

"  Because  you  don't  know  how  to  manage  the 
boat,  and  I  don't  believe  they  would  go  with 
you,"  replied  Sam  fearlessly. 

This  was  too  much  for  Tom ;  and  he  made  a 
pass  at  Sam  with  his  fist,  which  the  latter  parried, 
and  saved  himself  from  harm. 

"  None  of  that  here !  "  shouted  several  of  the 
Topovers. 

"  Sam  Spottwood  thinks  he  is  my  boss,  and  I 
will  show  him  what  he  is  and  what  I  am,"  con- 
tinued Tom,  rushing  upon  the  plain-spoken  boy. 

Sam  did  not  run :  he  hit  back,  and  after  a  brief 
struggle  the  bruiser  went  over  on  his  back.  He 
jumped  up,  and  began  to  declare  that  Sam  did 
not  fight  fair ;  when  the  other  Topovers  crowded 
around  him,  and  prevented  him  from  renewing  the 
battle  if  he  was  disposed  to  do  so,  though  it 
generally  was  the  case  with  him,  that  he  did  not 
follow  up  a  contest  when  the  other  party  '*  meant 
business."  The  others  talked  to  him  of  the  im- 
propriety of  getting  up  a  quarrel  in  the  presence 
of  the  ladies. 

"I  don't  care  nothing  about  that,"  replied  Tom; 


84  ALL   TAUT  ,    OR, 

and  he  rushed  back  to  the  wharf,  where  the  gen- 
tleman was  just  going  on  board  of  the  sloop. 
"  Stop,  Ash  Burton  !  I  tell  you  Fm  gomg  to  sail 
the  boat  this  time." 

"  Stop  where  you  are,  young  man,"  interposed 
the  gentleman,  as  he  took  Tom  by  the  collar. 
"  You  want  to  make  a  row ;  if  you  don't  get  out 
of  the  way,  I  will  duck  you  in  the  lake." 

"  Let  me  alone ! "  howled  Tom,  as  the  man 
hurled  him  away. 

Ash  shoved  off  the  bow  of  the  Goldwing,  and 
the  gentleman  stepped  on  board  as  the  stern 
swung  in.  Ash  was  disgusted  with  the  conduct 
of  the  leader  of  the  Topovers,  and  he  decided 
then  and  there  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  him 
after  that  time.  He  sailed  the  party  for  the  hour, 
though  he  did  it  on  a  growling  stomach.  On  his 
return,  he  received  four  more  half-dollars,  making 
twelve  in  all  which  his  pocket  now  contained 
His  employer  conducted  him  to  the  tables,  and 
he  proceeded  to  partake  of  the  collation. 

While  he  was  thus  pleasantly  occupied,  the  rest 
of  the  Topovers,  seeing  the  return  of  the  sloop, 
hastened  to  the  wharf.  No  other  party  wished 
to  sail,  and  Tom  proposed  that  tliey  should  start 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  85 

on  their  way  back  to  Beechwater.  The  others 
were  ready,  and  most  of  them  seated  themselves 
in  the  standing-room. 

"Ash  Burton  is  the  captain,  and  he  is  at  his 
dinner,"  said  Sam  Spottwood. 

"  We  can  get  along  without  him,"  replied  Tom 
with  a  coarse  grin.  "  I  am  going  to  sail  the  boat 
back." 

At  these  words  Chick  Penny  and  Hop  Cabright 
jumped  on  the  wharf  again,  declaring  they  would 
not  go  in  the  boat  if  Tom  was  to  be  the  skipper. 
The  bruiser  insisted  on  his  point,  and  that  the 
boat  should  leave  at  once.  Then  Con  Binker  and 
Syl  Peckman  followed  the  example  of  Chick  and 
Hop.  Even  Kidd  Digfield  and  Nim  Splugger  had 
some  doubts  about  trusting  themselves  with  Tom, 
and  they  began  to  reason  with  him.  There  was 
no  reason  in  him,  and  in  spite  of  them  he  shoved 
off  the  boat.  Taking  the  wind  on  the  starboard 
tack,  the  usurping  skipper  headed  the  sloop  to 
the  southward.  Tom  had  his  own  way  this 
time. 

"Hold  on,  Tom!"  shouted  Pell  Sankland. 
"  Ash  Burton  has  all  the  money  he  has  taken  for 
the  boat.     Is  he  to  have  the  whole  of  it  ?  " 


86  ALL   TAUT  ;   OE, 

"  Six  dollars,"  added  Nim  Spliigger.  "  He  ought 
to  make  a  divvy." 

"  He  is  not  going  to  keep  the  whole  of  it  any- 
how," said  Kidd  Digfield. 

"  There  he  is,  coming  down  to  the  wharf,"  con- 
tinued Pell.  "  We  have  as  much  right  to  some 
of  the  money  as  he  has.  The  boat  don't  belong 
to  him." 

"  We  can  get  it  out  of  him  the  next  time  we 
see  him,"  said  Tom,  who  did  not  like  the  idea  of 
returning  to  the  shore,  for  he  was  afraid  of  losing 
his  position  at  the  wheel. 

"He  will  spend  it  all,  and  I  won't  trust  him," 
replied  Pell. 

The  original  Topovers  were  in  a  majority  of 
the  present  crew,  and  perhaps  Tom  was  tempted 
by  the  prospect  of  putting  some  money  in  his 
pocket.  At  any  rate,  he  attempted  to  put  the 
boat  about.  The  sloop  was  far  enough  out  from 
behind  the  point  to  feel  the  force  of  the  wind. 
If  there  was  any  wrong  way  to  take,  Tom  Top- 
over  always  took  it ;  and  he  put  the  helm  up  in- 
stead of  down.  The  effect  was  to  gybe  the  boat, 
and  nearly  upset  her.  However,  she  did  not  ship 
any  water  lliis  time,  but  Tom  was  bewildered  by 


<\.( 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  87 

the  behavior  of  the  boat.  She  was  about  two 
hundred  feet  from  the  shore. 

"There  comes  the  Sylph!  "  shouted  Nim  Splug- 
ger,  as  tlie  sharp  bow  of  the  steam-yacht  appeared 
beyond  Porter's  Bay. 

This  cry  filled  the  Topovers  with  consternation. 
They  realized  that  Tom  at  the  wheel  was  utterly 
powerless  to  get  them  out  of  the  scrape,  and  it 
looked  as  though  he  would  tip  them  over  before 
he  got  the  boat  under  way  again.  The  Sylph 
seldom  if  ever  returned  from  her  excursions  in 
the  summer  till  night,  and  she  was  not  expected 
at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 

''  Start  her  up,  Tom ! "  yelled  Kidd,  almost 
frantic  at  the  idea  of  being  caught  in  possession 
of  the  Gold  wing  by  the  yacht's  people. 

"  She  don't  behave  right,"  replied  Tom,  who 
had  made  several  attempts  to  get  the  boat  under 
way. 

"Run  her  ashore,  and  let  us  get  out  of  the 
way." 

"  I  tell  you  she  won't  start  for  me,"  added  Tom, 
as  the  boom  banged  over  from  one  side  to  the 
other  as  it  had  done  half  a  dozen  times  before. 

It  was  clear  enough  to  the   culprits,  that  the 


88  ALL  TAUT  ;   OR, 

captain  of  the  Sylph,  who  was  also  the  owner  of 
the  Goldwing,  had  recognized  the  craft;  for  the 
steamer  was  headed  directly  for  the  point.  If  she 
were  going  down  the  lake,  she  would  have  headed 
for  the  other  side  of  Diamond  Island. 

At  last,  by  some  accident,  Tom  got  the  sail 
filled,  and  the  boat  under  way;  but  she  had 
caught  the  wind  on  the  starboard  tack,  upon 
which  it  was  not  possible  to  reach  the  nearest 
land.  The  Topovers  growled  and  yelled  to  Tom 
that  he  was  going  the  wrong  way.  The  bungling 
skipper  put  the  helm  down ;  but  he  met  her  too 
soon,  and  she  missed  stays.  The  Sylph  was  close 
aboard  of  her,  and  placed  herself  between  the 
yacht  and  the  shore. 


RIGGING   THE  BOAT.  89 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

A  STARTLING  EVENT  ON  THE  ROAD. 

"YTTHEN  the  Sylph  had  secured  a  position 
^  ^  between  the  Goldwing  and  the  shore,  so 
that  the  party  on  board  of  the  latter  could  not 
escape,  she  stopped  her  screw,  and  backed  until 
she  rested  motionless  on  the  water.  The  appear- 
ance of  the  steamer  so  near  the  point  created 
a  sensation  in  the  picnic-party,  and  the  whole 
crowd  on  the  shore  hastened  to  the  water-side. 

Before  the  steamer  lost  her  headway,  her  star- 
board quarter-boat  was  dropping  into  the  water. 
The  yacht  was  not  heavily  manned,  as  she  was 
when  the  school  was  in  session,  and  there  were 
not  hands  enough  on  board  for  any  brilliant 
manoeuvres.  Captain  Gildrock,  Bates,  the  old 
quartermaster,  Paul  Bristol,  and  Oscar  Chester 
got  into  the  boat,  and  pulled  to  the  Goldwing. 
Dory  Dornwood  and  Mr.  Bristol,  the  acthig  en- 


90  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

gineer,  remained  on  board  with  the  ladies  to  take 
charge  of  the  steamer. 

When  Tom  Topover  and  his  companions  saw 
the  boat  approaching  them,  they  abandoned  all 
hope  of  escape,  and  gave  up  in  despair.  They 
wished  they  were  ashore,  with  those  who  had 
been  left. 

"  What  are  you  doing  with  this  sloop  ? "  de- 
manded Captain  Gildrock  sternly,  when  the  quar- 
ter-boat came  alongside  of  the  Goldwing. 

"  I  can't  do  any  thing  with  her,"  replied  Tom. 

"  You  have  stolen  her,  as  you  have  tried  to  do 
before,"  added  the  principal ;  "  and  we  will  make 
short  work  with  you." 

Paul  Bristol  was  directed  to  take  the  painter 
of  the  sloop  on  board,  and  the  Goldwing  was 
towed  to  the  Sylph.  The  six  culprits  on  board 
of  her  were  ordered  to  the  deck,  and  they  knew 
Captain  Gildrock  well  enough  not  to  disobey 
him.  The  quarter-boat  was  hoisted  up  to  the 
davits ;  and  the  yacht  came  about  and  stood  away 
from  the  shore  without  communicating  with  the 
picnic-party.  She  headed  up  the  lake,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  disappeared  in  the  river. 

Ash  Burton   and  his  companions  observed  tlie 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  91 

proceedings  of  the  people  of  the  yacht  with 
ahnost  as  much  consternation  as  though  they  had 
been  captured  with  their  late  associates.  They 
could  hardly  hope  to  escape  the  consequences  of 
their  conduct,  for  Tom  and  the  rest  of  the  Top- 
overs  would  be  sure  to  betray  them.  They 
looked  upon  it  as  a  bad  scrape ;  for  the  principal 
of  the  Beech  Hill  Industrial  School  was  one  who 
obeyed  the  laws,  and  went  to  them  for  redress 
when  he  was  injured  instead  of  administering 
justice  on  his  own  account. 

Sam  Spottwood  was  sorry  he  had  not  followed 
his  own  impulse  to  do  right,  instead  of  allowing 
himself  to  be  led  into  error  by  his  friend.  But 
he  did  not  reproach  Ash,  for  he  felt  that  he  was 
the  victim  of  his  own  weakness.  The  whole  six 
of  them  were  quite  as  repentant  as  the  half-dozen 
who  had  been  captured  in  the  sloop.  No  doubt 
they  made  big  resolutions,  which  are  good  things 
to  make  .if  they  are  only  remembered  in  the 
hour  of  temptation. 

The  picnic-party  seemed  to  be  very  much  as- 
tonished at  the  proceedings  of  the  people  on 
board  of  the  yacht,  which  was  now  approaching 
the  river  with  the  sloop  in  tow.      Ash  saw  that 


92  ALL   TAUT  ;    OK, 

they  wanted  some  explanation ;  and  when  he  saw 
the  gentleman  who  had  paid  him  the  dozen  half- 
dollars,  he  felt  that  he  had  business  elsewhere. 
He  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  followed  by  his  compan- 
ions. He  did  not  care  to  appear  before  his  late 
passengers  as  a  culprit,  and  he  was  not  inclined 
to  tell  any  lies  about  the  matter. 

"We  are  in  for  it  now,"  said  Hop  Cabright, 
as  they  walked  with  hasty  steps  away  from  the 
point,  in  the  direction  of  the  road  to  Genverres. 

"No  doubt  of  that,"  replied  Sam  Spottwood. 
"  It  is  a  bad  scrape,  and  the  worst  of  it  is  being 
associated  with  such  fellows  as  Tom  Topover." 

"  As  Captain  Gildrock  did  not  catch  us  in  the 
boat,  perhaps  he  will  not  meddle  with  us,"  sug- 
gested Syl  Peckman. 

"  Those  fellows  will  blow  on  us,  after  all  that 
happened  this  afternoon,"  added  Chick  Penny. 

"  Of  course  they  will,  and  we  are  just  as  guilty 
as  they  are,"  added  Sam  Spottwood.  "  You  don't 
catch  me  having  any  thing  to  do  with  Tom  Top- 
over,  and  the  fellows  like  him  again :  they  are  a 
hard  crowd." 

"  We  never  did  any  thing  very  bad  witli  them 
before,"  said  Ash  Burton.     "I  am  sure  we  have 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  93 

done  something  towards  making  them  better  fel- 
lows, for  we  have  tried  to  improve  their  manners 
and  their  morals." 

"  I  don't  think  they  are  much  better,  though  I 
know  of  three  or  four  instances  where  we  have 
prevented  them  from  stealing.  But  we  ought  to 
have  prevented  them  from  using  the  Goldwing, 
instead  of  taking  part  with  them  in  the  wrong," 
said  Sam. 

"  You  know  how  it  happened,  and  how  we  were 
led  into  it,"  pleaded  Ash.  "  We  were  wrecked, 
and  out  in  the  middle  of  Beechwater,  without 
any  way  to  get  ashore  except  in  the  sloop." 

"I  understand  all  about  that;  but  we  were 
weak  to  get  into  the  boat  again  after  we  got 
ashore,"  argued  Sam. 

"  I  don't  believe  I  should  have  done  so  if  it  had 
not  been  to  convince  Tom  Topover  that  the  boat 
could  be  sailed  either  way.  It  is  all  up  with  us 
now,  and  we  must  take  the  consequences,  what- 
ever they  may  be." 

''Do  you  suppose  the  captain  will  prosecute 
us  ?  "  asked  Sam. 

"Probably  he  will,  though  he  may  let  up  on 
us  when  he  finds  that  we  did  not  go  out  to  the 


94  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

sloop  with  the  intention  of  taking  her.  The 
TojDOvers  have  tried  to  steal  the  boats  before, 
and  he  may  think  it  is  necessary  in  order  to  pro- 
tect himself  from  them,"  replied  Ash. 

"  I  hope  lie  won't ;  for  the  penalty  will  be  a  fine, 
I  suppose,  and  my  father  will  have  to  pay  it," 
added  Sam  very  gloomily.  "  He  is  not  able  to 
pay  it,  for  he  has  not  had  work  half  the  time 
this  summer.  He  would  have  taken  me  out  of 
school  if  he  could  have  found  any  thing  for  me 
to  do  that  would  pay  for  my  board  and  clothes." 

"  My  father  is  no  better  off,  for  he  had  been  out 
of  work  so  long  over  at  Westport  that  he  came 
over  here,  hoping  to  do  better;  but  he  has  not, 
and  he  finds  it  hard  work  to  get  enough  to  live 
on.  But  what  am  I  to  do  with  this  money?  I 
have  six  dollars  in  my  pocket,  wdiich  I  intended 
to  divide  among  the  fellows." 

"  That  would  be  half  a  dollar  apiece ;  but  the 
fellows  that  went  off  in  the  boat  without  us  don't 
deserve  any  of  it,"  said  Hop  Cabright. 

"I  shall  not  use  any  of  that  money,  or  touch 
it,"  interposed  Sam  Spottwood.  "It  belongs  to 
Dory  Dornwood  if  it  belongs  to  anybody,  for  he 
is  the  owner  of  the  Gold  wing." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  95 

"  I  should  like  some  of  the  money  well  enough 
to  give  to  my  father,  but  I  feel  just  as  though  I 
had  stolen  it,"  continued  Ash. 

"I  don't  think  it  belongs  to  us,  at  any  rate," 
repeated  Sam. 

"But  I  don't  want  to  keep  it.  I  don't  like  the 
feeling  of  it  in  my  pocket." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  road;  and 
they  were  a  sorry  set,  for  all  of  them  had  con- 
sciences, and  such  boys  always  feel  worse  when 
they  have  done  wrong  than  when  they  have  been 
without  their  dinner  and  supper.  They  continued 
to  talk  over  the  subject,  trying  to  agree  upon 
what  they  should  do.  Sam  insisted  that  they 
should  call  upon  Captain  Gildrock,  confess  their 
error,  and  throw  themselves  upon  his  mercy,  with 
the  statement  that  their  fathers  were  too  poor 
to  pay  any  fines.  They  would  tender  the  money 
to  him  for  Dory  Dornwood,  and  promise  never  to 
take  anybody's  boat  again,  and  to  withdraw  en- 
tirely from  the  association  with  such  boys  as  Tom 
Topover. 

There  was  scarcely  a  house  in  this  part  of  the 
town ;  but  they  soon  came  in  sight  of  a  small  cot- 
tage, which  deserved  no  better  name  than  a  hovel. 


96  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

They  had  been  eating  cold  ham  and  sweet  cake, 
and  they  were  quite  thirsty  after  their  long  walk ; 
for  it  was  all  of  two  miles  from  the  point  to  the 
town.  They  could  get  a  drink  there,  for  they  saw 
the  well-curb  between  the  hovel  and  the  road. 

Before  they  could  reach  it,  they  heard  a  succes- 
sion of  screams  so  shrill  that  they  seemed  to  pierce 
through  the  drums  of  their  ears.  They  were  not 
sounds  made  by  adult  persons,  but  by  children, 
and  they  were  most  agonizing.  Ash  Burton,  with- 
out making  any  remark,  broke  into  a  run  for  the 
house,  from  which  the  cries  appeared  to  come. 

"  Pell  Sankland  lives  in  that  house,"  said 
Chick  Penny,  when  they  started.  "  His  mother 
goes  out  washing  when  she  can  get  any  work  in 
that  line." 

But  Ash  did  not  care  who  lived  there,  and  he 
continued  to  run  without  making  any  reply.  As 
they  came  a  little  nearer,  they  saw  smoke  coming 
out  of  one  of  the  front  windows,  and  it  was  appar- 
ent that  the  hovel  was  on  fire.  Ash  struggled  to 
increase  his  speed,  and  was  the  first  to  reach  the 
front  door  of  the  house.  He  attempted  to  open 
it  and  found  that  it  was  locked  or  otherwise  fas- 
tened so  that  he  could  not  get  in.     Before  he  had 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  97 

clone  trying  to  effect  an  entrance,  his  companions 
came  up. 

''  The  door  is  locked  !  Run  for  the  back  door ! 
There  are  cliildren  in  the  house,  and  they  will 
be  smothered  in  the  smoke  if  we  don't  do  some- 
thing quick,"  gasped  Ash,  out  of  breath  with  his 
efforts. 

They  reached  the  back  door,  and  that  also  was 
fastened.  The  woodpile,  what  there  was  of  it, 
was  close  to  this  entrance.  Of  the  half-dozen 
sticks  that  remained,  there  was  one  at  least  six 
inches  in  diameter.  Ash  and  Sam  seized  this,  and 
butted  with  it  a  few  times  against  the  back  door. 
It  was  an  ill-fitting  and  poorly  constructed  affair, 
like  all  the  rest  of  the  house,  and  it  readily  yielded 
to  the  vigorous  blows  of  the  assailants. 

Ash  rushed  into  the  house,  and  made  his  way 
to  the  front  room,  where  he  had  seen  the  smoke 
issuing  from  the  window.  There  he  found  a  child 
of  seven,  with  another  not  more  than  four.  The 
older  was  a  girl,  and  her  dress  was  on  fire,  as  was 
the  side  of  the  room  nearest  to  the  fireplace,  for 
there  was  no  stove.  Sam  and  the  others  were 
close  behind  him,  and  discovered  the  terrible  peril 
of  the  child  almost  as  soon  as  he  did. 


98  ALL  TAUT  ;   OR, 

"  Lay  her  down  on  the  floor !  "  shouted  Ash,  as 
he  sprang  to  the  bed  in  the  room. 

He  took  the  comforter  from  it,  for  he  found  no 
blanket,  and  rushed  to  the  child.  He  was  wrap- 
ping the  girl  in  it  when  he  saw  that  the  flames 
had  caught  in  the  cotton  which  projected  from 
the  ragged  holes  in  it.  It  began  to  blaze,  and  he 
cast  it  aside.  A  piece  of  old  carpet  was  spread 
before  the  fire,  and  he  hastened  to  wrap  the  child 
in  that.  It  was  too  small  to  cover  the  sufferer ; 
but  Ash  and  Sam  fought  the  fire  with  their  hands, 
and  in  a  moment  had  extinguished  the  flame. 

Hop  Cabright  brought  a  l)ucket  of  water  he 
found  in  the  back  room,  and  the  contents  were 
poured  over  the  child.  The  smaller  child's  clothes 
had  not  taken  fire,  and  she  was  not  injured.  But 
both  of  them  continued  to  scream  even  after  the 
fire  on  the  older  was  extinguished. 

"Don't  cry  any  more,  little  girl,"  said  Ash,  in 
a  tender  tone,  as  he  proceeded  to  look  at  her  and 
see  how  mucli  she  was  burned. 

"  The  house  is  on  fire,  Ash,  and  we  must  put 
it  out !  "  cried  Sam,  as  he  took  the  smaller  child, 
and  rushed  out  doors  with  it. 

Ash  followcMl  him,  witli  tlie  girl  still  screaming 


■Lay  hek  dow:x  on  the  flooii!'  shouted  Ash. "*- Page  98. 


RIOOTNG   THE   BOAT.  99 

from  pain  and  terror  both.  The  well  was  on  the 
front  of  the  house,  and  they  found  no  more  water 
drawn.  Each  of  the  six  boys  seized  whatever 
vessel  he  could  find,  and  rushed  to  the  well. 
They  returned  to  the  room  where  the  fire  was, 
with  all  the  water  they  could  carry.  But  the 
whole  side  of  the  room  was  in  a  blaze,  and  the  case 
looked  hopeless. 


100  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 


CHAPTER   IX. 

LOOKING   FOR   A   SETTLEMENT. 

T"  YING  on  the  floor  near  the  fireplace  was  a 
-^^  kerosene4amp,  the  ghiss  shade  of  which  was 
broken.  The  fire  had  started  at  this  part  of  the 
room ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  little  girl  had 
lighted  the  lamp,  and  dropped  it  upon  the  hearth. 
Doubtless  she  had  tried  to  -put  out  the  fire,  and 
the  flame  had  communicated  with  her  dress. 

The  ceiling  of  the  room  was  plastered,  but  the 
walls  were  cased  with  pine.  With  this  combusti- 
ble material  to  supply  it,  the  fire  had  rapidly  cre[)t 
to  the  ceiling,  and  penetrated  the  attic  above. 
Ash  Burton  saw  that  it  was  useless  to  pour  water 
on  the  flame  below  while  the  fire  was  rapidly 
ascending  to  the  roof.  With  a  bucket  of  water 
he  led  the  way  up-stairs,  and  found  the  fire  just 
coming  through  the  floor. 

lie  turned   tlie  water  very  carefully   into    tliu 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  101 

hole  which  the  fire  had  made,  though  he  was 
very  nearly  suffocated  by  the  smoke  that  filled 
the  attic.  The  effect  was  immediately  visible  :  the 
flame  was  checked,  though  the  smoke  continued 
to  pour  out  of  the  opening.  Taking  the  water 
brought  by  his  companions,  he  used  it  to  the  best 
advantage.  Their  work  appeared  to  be  accom- 
plished in  this  part  of  the  house,  and  Ash  sent 
part  of  the  boys  down  to  dash  water  on  the 
burning  boards  in  the  room  where  they  had  found 
the  children. 

For  some  time  the  boys  watched  and  worked, 
pouring  on  water  whenever  they  found  any  signs 
of  fire. 

The  flames  had  destroyed  the  wall  by  the  side 
of  the  fireplace,  and  made  a  considerable  opening 
jnto  the  attic.  The  smoke  had  been  very  trying 
to  the  young  firemen,  for  the  rooms  were  filled 
with  it.  When  Syl  Peckman  opened  one  of  the 
windows,  Ash  instantly  closed  it;  for  he  knew 
that  the  draught  of  air  would  feed  the  flame  with 
the  element  it  needed  to  increase  its  force.  They 
worked  as  long  as  they  could  find  any  vestige  of 
fire. 

They  had   broken    in    the    front   door  so  that 


102  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

they  could  the  more  readil}'  get  the  water  where 
it  was  needed ;  but  after  he  went  up  stairs,  Ash 
did  not  come  down  till  the  fire  was  out.  The 
others  had  a  little  relief  from  the  smoke  when 
they  went  out  for  water ;  but  he  remained  in  the 
attic  to  pour  on  the  water,  and  he  suffered  much 
more  than  his  companions.  His  eyes  rained  tears, 
and  they  were  red  and  swollen.  All  of  them  at- 
tended to  these  important  organs  as  soon  as  they 
found  the  time,  and  washed  them  thoroughly. 
The  fresh  air  and  the  water  soon  relieved  them 
in  a  great  measure. 

There  had  been  smoke  enough  to  be  seen  in 
the  distance ;  and  when  the  fire  was  fully  extin- 
guished, people  began  to  arrive.  The  smoke  had 
been  seen  by  some  men  at  work  in  the  field,  and 
they  had  given  the  alarm.  They  were  too  late 
to  be  of  any  service  in  putting  out  the  fire ;  but 
they  took  the  two  children,  and  conveyed  them 
to  the  next  house. 

The  older  girl  was  not  so  badly  burned  as  the 
boys  feared  in  the  beginning.  She  and  the  little 
one  had  evidently  begun  to  scream  before  her 
dress  took  fire,  probably  terrified  when  they  saw 
the  flames  running  up  the  wooden  wall.     It  takes 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  103 

longer  to  tell  the  story  than  it  did  for  the  fire 
to  get  under  wa,j.  The  boys  were  not  far  from 
the  house  when  they  heard  the  screams ;  and  the 
child's  clothes  could  not  have  been  burning  more 
than  a  moment  when  they  came  to  her  relief. 

The  girl's  hands,  and  her  limbs  near  the  knees, 
were  considerabl}^  burned,  and  she  had  received 
injury  enough  to  cause  her  great  pain.  The  farm- 
er and  his  two  men  were  the  first  to  arrive ; 
but  the  fire  was  out,  and  the  good  man  gave  all 
his  attention  to  the  sufferer.  His  house  was  but 
a  short  distance  from  the  cottage  ;  and  he  carried 
her  there,  assisted  by  one  of  his  men.  On  his 
arrival  he  sent  his  companion  for  the  doctor. 

Before  he  could  reach  his  home,  an  engine  from 
the  town,  which  was  not  half  a  mile  distant,  rushed 
to  the  scene  of  the  fire.  The  foreman  examined 
the  premises,  but  he  could  not  find  any  fire.  He 
bustled  about  for  a  time  wiiile  he  made  his  ex- 
amination, but  there  was  nothing  else  for  him 
to  do. 

"It  came  very  near  burning  the  house,"  said 
he  to  Ash  Burton,  who  showed  him  over  the 
premises,  and  explained  the  situation.  "  How  did 
it  take  fire?" 


104  ALL   TAUT  ;   OE, 

"  The  girl  was  in  so  much  pain  that  I  did  not 
ask  her  any  questions,"  replied  Ash,  as  he  led  the 
fireman  into  the  front  room,  in  which  the  family 
lived.  "  There  is  a  kerosene-lamp  on  the  floor, 
and  the  fire  began  there.  The  shade  is  broken, 
and  ^)erhaps  the  girl  dropped  the  lamp  on  the 
floor  after  she  had  lighted  it." 

"What  was  she  doing  with  a  lamp  in  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon?"  asked  the  foreman. 

"That  is  more  than  I  know;  but  it  looks  as 
though  the  fire  was  caused  by  dropping  the  lamp 
on  the  floor,"  replied  Ash. 

"  It  was  lucky  for  the  owner  that  you  happened 
to  be  near,"  continued  the  fireman.  "  Where  were 
3^ou  when  you  saw  the  fire  ?  " 

"  We  were  just  coming  around  that  bend  in  the 
road  when  we  heard  the  screams  of  the  children. 
We  did  not  see  the  fire  at  first.  When  we  got 
here  the  doors  were  all  fastened,  and  we  had  to 
beat  in  the  back  one  with  a  stick  of  wood.  We 
put  out  the  fire  in  the  girl's  clothes  first,  and  then 
we  poured  water  on  the  flames." 

As  the  man  asked  more  questions.  Ash  ex- 
plained fully  the  manner  in  which  they  had 
treated  the  girl,  and  then  put  out  the  fire. 


KIGGING   THE   BOAT.  105 

"  You  have  saved  the  house ;  and  if  you  had 
been  a  minute  later,  the  little  girl  might  have 
lost  her  life.  You  boys  have  done  remarkably 
well.  You  have  been  brave  and  resolute,  and 
you  have  managed  the  fire  with  excellent  judg- 
ment," said  the  foreman,  when  he  had  learned  all 
the  facts.  "  Most  boys  would  have  continued  to 
throw  water  on  the  fire  in  the  room  below ;  but 
you  went  up-stairs,  where  alone  the  fire  could  be 
checked.  You  have  done  well ;  and  the  whole 
fire-department  of  Genverres,  if  it  had  been  here, 
could  not  have  accomplished  any  more,  or  done 
it  more  neatly." 

"Ash  Burton  was  the  leader  of  the  party,  and 
he  found  all  the  brains,"  said  Chick  Penny  mag- 
nanimously. 

"  That's  so ;  we  followed  his  lead,"  added  Sam 
Spottwood  ;  and  the  others  expressed  their 
assent. 

"I  thank  you,  sir,  for  what  you  have  said.  I 
tried  to  do  the  best  I  could,  and  I  am  glad  we 
succeeded ;  for  I  am  sure  I  could  not  have  done 
any  thing  if  the  other  fellows  had  not  worked  like 
firemen.  They  all  behaved  first-rate,  and  did  not 
give  up  when  the  smoke  had  strained  their  eyes 


106  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

nearly  out  of  their  heads,"  returned  Ash,  giving 
his  companions  the  credit  they  deserved. 

"  There  is  nothing  for  us  to  do  here,  and  v^^e 
may  as  well  return  to  our  quarters.  I  am  afraid 
that  child  is  badly  burned,  and  we  will  stop  at 
the  house  where  she  is,"  continued  the  foreman, 
oivino^  his  men  the  order  to  return. 

The  rope  of  the  engine  was  not  very  heavily 
manned,  and  the  six  boys  were  permitted  to  take 
part  in  dragging  the  machine  back  to  town ;  and 
this,  to  the  average  boy,  is  supposed  to  be  fun, 
however  it  may  be  with  full-grown  men.  They 
were  all  well  rested  after  tlie  work  they  had  done, 
and  they  had  even  forgotten  for  the  time  the  un- 
pleasant results  of  the  cruise  of  the  Goldwing. 
The  engine  stopped  at  the  next  house,  where  the 
farmer  lived.  Ash  Burton  and  the  foreman  went 
in  to  inquire  about  the  sufferer. 

"  I  am  keeping  her  quite  comfortable  by  putting 
cold  water  on  the  burns  about  once  a  minute," 
said  the  farmer's  wife.  "  I  don't  know  as  the 
doctor  will  approve  of  it  when  he  comes,  and  I 
should  not  apply  my  remedy  if  the  burns  were 
on  the  head  or  body.  For  burns  in  any  other 
places,  cold  water  is  my  remedy,  because  it  dead- 
ens the  pain  at  once." 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  107 

"  How  does  the  girl  seem  ?  "  asked  the  foreman. 

"  She  is  pretty  badly  burned,  but  she  will  get 
over  it  without  any  trouble.  I  always  told  Mrs. 
Sankland  that  she  ought  not  to  lock  up  the  chil- 
dren when  she  went  out  to  work ;  but  the  poor 
woman  has  a  terrible  hard  time  of  it,  and  I  sup- 
pose she  could  not  help  it,  for  she  has  to  earn 
enough  to  get  food  for  her  family,"  replied  the 
good  woman. 

"  But  she  has  a  son,"  suggested  the  fireman. 

"  It  would  be  a  orood  deal  better  for  her  if  she 
had  no  son,  for  he  is  a  good-for-nothing  fellow. 
He  won't  work  to  earn  any  thing,  or  even  take 
care  of  the  children  while  his  mother  is  at  work. 
She  has  to  feed  him,  and  it  would  be  a  good  thing 
if  she  had  one  less  mouth  to  fill." 

''  He  is  a  bad  boy,  and  runs  with  Tom  Topover, 
which  is  enough  to  condemn  any  boy,"  added  the 
fireman. 

Ash  Burton  and  his  companions  winced  under 
this  remark,  and  they  were  glad  they  had  gone  so 
far  as  to  resolve  to  avoid  him  in  the  future. 

'*My  husband  would  give  the  boy  work  all 
summer,  and  pay  him  all  he  could  earn ;  but  he 
will  not  do  a  thing,  and  he  is  worrying  the  life 


108  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

out  of  his  mother,"  continued  tlie  farmer's  wife. 
"  I  think  something  ought  to  be  done  with  him ; 
and  it  would  be  a  good  thing  if  he  could  be  sent 
to  the  house  of  correction,  or  some  other  institu- 
tion, where  he  could  be  made  to  work." 

The  foreman  of  the  engine  quite  agreed  with 
her,  and  promised  to  inquire  into  the  matter  on 
his  return  to  the  town.  The  march,  for  it  was 
not  a  run  on  the  return,  was  resumed  with  the 
machine,  which  soon  reached  its  destination.  Sev- 
eral persons  who  kept  horses  had  ridden  out  to 
see  where  the  fire  was,  and  the  report  of  what 
had  happened  was  already  in  circulation  through 
the  place. 

It  was  not  more  than  four  o'clock,  and  the 
reformed  Topovers  —  as  they  regarded  themselves 
—  were  not  inclined  to  go  home  until  they  had 
done  something  about  the  cruise  of  the  Goldwing. 
As  they  came  out  of  the  engine-house,  they  saw 
Captain  Gildrock  in  his  buggy.  He  had  stopped 
in  the  street,  and  Avas  talking  to  a  fireman  who 
had  just  left  the  engine. 

The  reformers  halted,  and  decided  to  hail  the 
principal  as  soon  as  he  finished  his  conversation 
with  the  man.     The  latter  seemed  to  be  talking 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  109 

to  him  very  earnestly,  and  pointed  down  tlie 
street.  Suddenly  the  captain  turned  his  horse 
in  the  direction  the  man  had  pointed,  and  drove 
off  so  rapidly  that  the  boys  could  not  hail  him. 
He  turned  the  next  corner,  and  the  boys  followed 
him. 

They  had  gone  to  another  corner  when  they 
saw  the  captain's  team  standing  at  the  door  of  a 
mechanic's  shop.  He  had  left  the  vehicle,  and 
secured  the  horse  by  a  weight.  Sam  suggested 
that  he  was  getting  out  a  warrant  for  the  arrest 
of  those  who  had  stolen  the  sloop ;  but  Ash  was 
confident  that  no  magistrate  lived  on  that  street, 
which  was  occupied  mainly  by  mechanics'  shops 
and  small  factories. 

"I  don't  want  to  miss  him  next  time,"  said  Ash. 
"  I  should  like  to  have  this  business  settled,  or  at 
least  to  know  what  is  going  to  be  done  about  it, 
before  I  go  home.  Captain  Gildrock  goes  off  like 
a  rifle-shot  when  he  starts,  and  seems  to  be  think- 
ing of  something  all  the  time." 

"  That's  so,"  Sam  replied.  "  We  don't  want  to 
disturb  him  while  he  is  busy  about  something. 
I  will  go  around  to  the  main  street,  and  stop  him 
if  he  comes  out  that  way." 


110  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

This  suggestion  was  approved  and  adopted. 
Sam  and  two  of  the  party  went  around,  and  soon 
appeared  at  the  other  end  of  the  street,  for  they 
did  not  want  to  be  seen  till  the  principal  had  time 
to  attend  to  them. 

It  was  all  of  half  an  hour  before  Captain  Gild- 
rock  appeared. 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  Ill 


CHAPTER   X. 

TWO   CONFLICTING   STORIES. 

r^APTAIN  GILDROCK  turned  his  horse,  and 
^-^  started  on  his  return  by  the  way  he  had 
come.  As  Ash  Burton  and  the  others  saw,  he 
was  engaged  in  deep  thought,  and  had  his  eyes 
fixed  on  the  floor  of  the  buggy.  He  seemed  to  be 
engaged  in  some  important  business ;  but  Ash  de- 
cided, at  once,  that  the  circumstances  were  enough 
to  warrant  him  in  disturbing  his  reflections. 

"  Captain  Gildrock !  "  called  the  leader  of  the 
party,  stepping  into  the  street  where  he  was  about 
to  pass. 

The  principal  reined  in  his  horse,  and  seemed 
to  come  out  of  the  reverie  in  which  he  had  been 
buried. 

"  We  should  like  to  speak  to  you,  sir,  when  you 
are  ready  to  hear  us,"  continued  Ash. 

"I  am  ready  to  hear  you  now,  if  you  have  a 


112  ALL    TAUT  ;    OR, 

sliort  story  to  tell;  but  I  am  in  a  liiiny,"  replied 
the  captain,  rather  briskly. 

"Then  we  will  wait  till  you  have  more  time, 
sir;  we  will  call  at  your  house  when  you  are  not 
busy,"  added  Ash,  who  did  not  think  it  wise  to 
ask  the  principal  to  sit  in  judgment  upon  their 
case  when  he  was  in  a  flurry  of  excitement. 

"  Very  well ;  come  to  my  house  this  evening  at 
any  time  after  half-past  six,"  said  the  captain,  as 
he  started  his  horse.  But  he  suddenly  reined 
him  in,  and  took  a  piece  of  paper  from  his  pocket. 
"Do  you  know  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Ash- 
ley Burton,  and  another  by  the  name  of  Samuel 
Spottwood  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  My  name  is  Ashley  Burton,  sir ;  and  I  wanted 
to  see  you  about  the  wrong  we  have  done  in  tak- 
ing the  boat  on  Beechwater,"  replied  Ash,  rather 
sheepishly. 

"About  the  wrong  you  did!"  exclaimed  the 
principal,  opening  his  eyes  as  though  a  new  reve- 
lation had  just  been  made  to  him. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  I  have  six  dollars  in  my  pocket, 
the  earnings  of  the  Goldwing,  which  belongs  to 
you,  or  to  Dory  Dornwood,"  continued  Ash,  carry- 
ins;  out  the  o'ood  resolution  of  himself  and  his 
penitent  companions. 


RIGGING  THE  BOAT.  113 

"I  have  been  looking  for  you  and  the  others 
who  were  with  you,"  replied  the  captain,  biting 
his  lip  as  though  things  had  not  happened  just  as 
he  expected. 

"We  are  all  here,  sir,"  answered  Ash,  as  he 
looked  up  the  street,  and  saw  Sam  and  his  party 
running  towards  them.  "  We  are  very  sorry  for 
what  we  have  done,  and  we  will  promise  never 
again  to  touch  one  of  your  boats  without  per- 
mission." 

"But  I  hear  very  bad  stories  about  you.  You 
were  going  to  take  the  boat,  and,  with  the  money 
you  had  earned  with  her,  were  gohig  to  Burlington 
to  'have  a  time,'  as  Tom  Topover  called  it." 

Ash  looked  at  his  companion,  and  there  was 
something  like  a  smile  on  his  face.  As  he  might 
have  supposed,  Tom  had  told  his  own  story,  and 
cast  all  the  blame  upon  the  members  of  the  party 
he  had  left  at  the  point. 

"  Not  a  word  has  been  said  in  my  hearing  about 
going  to  Burlington,  or  any  other  place,"  replied 
Ash ;  and  his  companions  said  the  same  thing. 

"I  have  been  led  to  believe  that  Ashley  Burton 
and  Samuel  Spottwood  were  the  ringleaders  of  the 
enterprise,  and  that  Topover,  Digfield,  Sankland, 


114  ALL   taut;    or, 

and  the  others  we  found  on  board  of  the  Gold- 
wing,  had  been  cheated  into  going  into  the  boat  by 
you.  Then,  when  they  found  you  meant  to  leave 
them  at  the  point,  and  go  to  Burlington,  they  had 
taken  possession  of  the  sloop,  and  were  going  to 
return  her  to  her  moorings,"  said  the  captain, 
smiling  while  he  repeated  the  substance  of  Tom 
Topover's  explanation. 

"I  suppose  you  can  believe  either  storv  you 
please,  sir.  I  am  willing  to  tell  the  truth;  and  we 
all  confess  that  we  were  very  much  to  blame, 
though  there  was  some  excuse  for  our  going  on 
board  of  the  Goldwing  in  the  first  place ;  and  I  am 
sure  we  did  not  go  to  her  with  the  intention  of 
sailing  in  her,"  answered  Ash,  frankly  and  openly. 

Captain  Gildrock  seemed  to  be  moved  by  the 
narrative  of  the  speaker.  He  glanced  from  one 
to  another  of  the  penitents  till  he  had  examined 
all  their  faces.  He  did  not  say  that  he  was  im- 
pressed in  their  favor ;  but  their  bearing  certainly 
compared  very  favorably  with  that  of  the  original 
gang,  who  were  in  the  majority  in  the  party  cap- 
tured by  the  Sylph. 

"I  have  been  so  mucli  annoyed  by  these  at- 
tempts to  steal  the  boats  of  the  institution,  that  I 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  115 

have  decided  to  put  a  stop  to  them,"  continued 
the  principal,  after  he  had  looked  over  the  Burton 
party.  "  I  intended  to  prosecute  all  the  offenders 
engaged  in  stealing  the  Goldwing,  if  J  found  I 
could  make  out  a  good  case  ;  and  I  am  now  inves- 
tigating the  matter." 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  prosecute  us,  sir,"  inter- 
posed Ash,  very  humbly,  "for  my  father  cannot 
very  well  afford  to  pay  my  fine." 

"While  I  was  inquiring  about  you,  I  heard 
about  the  fire  which  burned  the  house  in  which 
the  mother  of  one  of  the  boys  I  have  on  board  the 
Sylph  lived ;  and  I  was  told  at  first  that  a  little 
girl,  this  boy's  sister,  had  been  burned  to  death." 

"  Not  so  bad  as  that,  sir,"  replied  Ash. 

"I  have  just  been  to  see  the  foreman  of  the 
engine  that  went  to  the  fire,  and  I  have  obtained 
all  the  facts  from  him,"  continued  Captain  Gild- 
rock.  "  But  I  can't  investigate  the  case  here.  If 
you  can  come  on  board  of  the  Sylph,  where  the 
six  boys  I  found  in  the  Goldwing  are,  I  think  Ave 
can  soon  settle  the  matter  so  that  I  shall  know 
what  to  do." 

"  We  will  go  there  at  once,  sir,"  replied  Ash ; 
and  all  the  others  assented.     "  But  here  is  the  six 


116  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

dollars  paid  me  for  taking  out  the  parties  at  the 
picnic." 

"No  matter  about  that  now,''  added  the  princi- 
pal, as  he  drove  off. 

"He  did  not  say  a  word  about  what  we  did  at 
the  fire,"  said  Hop  Cabright. 

"He  has  just  been  to  see  the  foreman  of  the 
engine,  too,"  said  Syl  Peckman. 

"  I  don't  know  that  it  had  any  thing  to  do  with 
the  Goldwing  or  the  Topovers,"  said  Sam  Spott- 
wood. 

"  Perhaps  not,  but  we  did  a  good  piece  of  work  ; 
and,  if  we  had  not  come  along  just  as  we  did,  the 
little  girl  would  have  been  burned  to  death,  and 
the  house  destroyed,''  argued  Hop,  who  seemed  to 
think  that  the  two  events  of  the  day  had  some 
connection. 

"  Do  you  expect  that  putting  out  the  fire  at  the 
Widow  Sankland's  will  atone  for  the  wrong  we 
did  in  taking  tlie  Goldwing  for  a  sail?"  asked 
Ash,  turning  to  Hop. 

"  Well,  I  think  it  will  prove  that  we  are  not  the 
worst  fellows  in  the  world,"  replied  Hop. 

"Do  3'ou  think  if  a  fireman  should  kill  a 
man,  it  would  save  him  from  punishment  because 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  117 

he  had  saved  a  woman  from  being  burned  to 
death?" 

"I  don't  know  that  I  think  that,  but  I  think 
he  ought  to  have  the  credit  of  his  good  deed," 
answered  Hop,  stoutly. 

"  I  don't  believe  it  would  save  his  neck  from 
being  stretched,"  persisted  Ash,  who  was  assuredly 
a  very  good  fellow  —  when  he  was  not  led  away 
by  some  temptation  like  the  desire  to  sail  a  boat. 
"I  don't  believe  that  it  will  make  a  particle  of 
difference  to  Captain  Gildrock  that  we  put  out 
that  fire,  and  saved  the  little  girl.  He  is  not  a 
milk-and-water  man." 

This  conversation  was  continued  till  they 
reached  the  grounds  of  the  Industrial  School. 
The  boys  had  been  assured  of  the  intention  of 
the  principal  to  prosecute  if  he  could  make  out  a 
good  case.  It  appeared  that  Tom  Topover  had 
invented  some  story  which  failed  to  explain  the 
manner  in  which  they  had  first  gone  on  board  of 
the  sloop. 

They  found  the  entire  party  which  had  been 
away  in  the  yacht  still  on  her  deck.  The  ladies 
looked  with  interest  upon  the  additional  culprits, 
as  they  walked  forward  where  tlie  principal  held 


118  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

court.  Lily  Bristol  was  talking  to  Dory  ;  and  they 
were  generally  together  on  board,  which  caused  her 
to  spend  the  greater  portion  of  her  time  in  the 
pilot-house.  She  seemed  to  have  a  good  deal  of 
pity  in  her  looks  as  she  gazed  at  them. 

Paul  Bristol  received  them  when  they  came  on 
board,  as  he  had  been  instructed  to  do,  and  con- 
ducted them  to  the  forecastle,  where  they  found 
their  six  companions  in  the  cruise  of  the  Goldwing, 
under  tlie  charge  of  the  relentless  quartermaster, 
who  figured  so  largely  in  the  extreme  discipline 
of  the  institution.  Captain  Gildrock  had  just  re- 
turned from  his  visit  to  the  town,  and  had  seated 
himself  near  the  gangway. 

He  received  the  party  from  the  point  more 
kindly  than  they  had  expected,  and  immediately 
proceeded  with  the  examination  of  the  case.  He 
called  out  Tom  Topover,  and  said  he  wished  him 
to  repeat  the  explanation  he  had  made  before,  in 
the  presence  of  those  whom  he  charged  with  being 
the  rino"leaders  in  the  adventure.  Tom  o-rimied 
as  though  lie  was  as  innocent  as  a  lamb  on  the 
hills,  and  went  into  his  narrative  without  any 
hesitation. 

According  tu  Tom's  version,  Ash  BiuIdh   and 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  119 

the  other  five  who  had  just  come  on  board  had 
taken  the  boat,  and  were  going  out  upon  the  lake 
in  her.  He  and  the  rest  of  the  party  captured  had 
been  in  the  grove,  when  Ash  brouglit  the  boat  up 
to  the  wharf,  and  said  they  had  permission  from 
the  principal  to  use  her,  and  finally  persuaded 
them  to  join  the  excursion. 

"Persuaded  you,  did  they?  If  they  had  per- 
mission to  use  the  boat,  how  did  it  happen  that 
you  needed  any  persuasion?"  asked  the  captain. 

"  We  did  not  believe  they  got  leave  to  take  the 
boat.  They  coaxed  us  to  go  with  them,  and  were 
willing  to  take  their  oath  that  it  was  straight 
about  the  boat.  We  gave  in  then,"  replied  Tom. 
"  When  we  got  to  the  point,  and  found  a  picnic 
there.  Ash  Burton  went  ashore,  and  offered  to  let 
the  boat  for  two  dollars  an  hour.  The  folks  there 
took  him  up,  and  he  carried  out  three  loads,  and 
got  six  dollars  for  it." 

"  Then  it  was  Ashley  Burton  who  first  proposed 
to  take  out  the  parties  ?  " 

"  Of  course  it  was.  He  made  all  of  us  go  on 
shore,  and  stay  there  three  hours.  Then  we 
overheard  one  of  them  telling  another,  that  they 
would   leave    us    at   the    point,  and   go    to    Bur- 


120  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

lington,  and  spend  the  money.  But  I  got  ahead 
of  them,"  chuckled  Tom.  "When  Ash  Burton 
went  to  dinner,  I  got  my  fellows  into  the  boat, 
and  we  started  for  home,  to  carry  the  boat  back 
to  you.     That's  the  whole  of  it." 

"  I  am  glad  it  is,"  replied  the  captain,  turning 
to  the  six  from  the  shore.  "Now  we  will  hear 
the  other  side  of  the  story." 

Ash  Burton  related  it,  and  the  others  were 
called  upon  to  indorse  the  statement  if  it  was  the 
truth;  and  they  did  so  without  any  qualification. 
Their  leader  had  related  the  simple  truth,  and  had 
not  put  in  any  excuses  for  himself  or  his  friends. 

"  That's  all  a  lie  !  "  exclaimed  Tom,  looking  as 
though  he  was  shocked  to  hear  so  many  falsehoods 
crowded  into  a  short  story. 

"  You  say  it  was  Ashley  that  first  proposed  to 
take  out  the  parties,  Topover  ?  "  added  the  prin- 
cipal. 

Tom  persisted  that  it  was,  and  the  others  backed 
him.  Captain  Gildrock  called  Paul  Bristol,  and 
by  him  sent  an  order  to  Dory  to  get  the  yacht 
under  way  again.  In  a  few  minutes  she  was 
standing  down  Beechwater  to  the  outlet. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  121 


CHAPTER   XL 

COMPLIMENTARY   TO   THE   PICNIC-PARTY. 

rr^HE  penitents  had  never  been  on  board  of  the 
-*-  Sylph  before ;  and,  even  in  the  midst  of  the 
examination  which  was  to  decide  what  was  to  be 
done  with  them  for  the  misdemeanor  of  the  fore- 
noon, they  enjoyed  the  motion  of  the  yacht.  Tom 
and  his  companions  were  prisoners  on  the  fore- 
castle ;  and,  though  nothing  had  been  said  to  the 
penitents,  they  considered  themselves  in  the  same 
condition.  They  had  heard  of  Bates,  who  was 
the  ogre  of  the  institution  to  bad  boys ;  and  there 
he  was,  acting  as  a  deck-hand. 

Paul  Bristol  attended  to  the  stern-line,  against 
which  the  steamer  backed  to  throw  her  head  out 
from  the  wharf.  Sometimes  he  had  served  as 
fireman  ;  but  a  man  was  now  employed  for  that 
service,  and  the  engineer's  son  was  a  man-of-all- 
work.     He  had  learned  something  about  tlie  en- 


122  ALL    TAUT;    OR, 

gine,  so  that  he  could  attend  to  it  for  a  short  time  ; 
and  Dory  had  instructed  him  in  piloting,  so  that  he 
could  take  the  wheel  when  it  was  plain  sailing. 

Lily  Bristol  went  to  the  pilot-house  with  the 
captain  when  he  was  ordered  to  get  under  w^ay. 
She  wondered  where  they  were  going,  but  she 
had  taken  little  interest  in  the  examination  on 
the  forecastle.  Captain  Dornwood  told  her,  with 
a  pleasant  smile,  that  it  was  not  customary  for 
officers  and  seamen  to  ask  questions  in  regard  to 
the  movements  of  the  vessel :  all  they  had  to  do 
was  to  obey  the  orders  of  their  superior  officers. 
A  soldier  or  a  sailor  who  asked  questions  before 
he  did  what  he  was  directed  to  do,  was  good  for 
nothing. 

"  But  you  are  the  captain  of  the  steamer.  Dory," 
said  she,  as  the  young  gentleman  politely  ushered 
her  into  the  pilot-house. 

''  When  we  have  the  ship's  company  on  board, 
I  am  the  captain ;  though  even  then  it  is  only  a 
position  in  name,  for  I  have  to  obey  the  orders 
of  the  owner,"  replied  Dory.  "  But,  now  that  we 
are  not  in  commission,  nut  much  attention  is  paid 
to  rank ;  and  sometimes  when  my  uncle  is  at  the 
wheel  I  act  as  deck-hand." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  123 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  being  in  commission, 
Dory  ?     Have  you  any  commission  ?  "  asked  Lily. 

"  That's  what  my  uncle  calls  it  when  we  have 
the  regular  ship's  company  on  board.  A  ship  in 
the  navy,  or  a  yacht,  is  said  to  be  in  commission 
when  she  has  her  officers  and  men  on  board,  and 
is  in  condition  for  going  to  sea,  or  doing  what  is 
required  of  her." 

"  You  don't  go  to  sea ;  but  you  go  to  lake,  just 
the  same  now  as  when  you  have  thirty  or  forty 
on  duty,"  laughed  Lily. 

"But  Captain  Gildrock  don't  call  us  in  com- 
mission when  we  use  the  steamer  with  our  present 
crew:  that's  all  the  difference  there  is.  Three 
persons  can  handle  the  Sylph  very  well ;  and  four 
is  enough  to  work  her  comfortably,  though  not 
when  there  are  any  meals  to  be  served." 

Just  then,  as  the  steamer  was  standing  across 
the  little  lake  towards  the  outlet,  Paul  Bristol 
appeared  at  the  door  of  the  pilot-house,  with  the 
order  of  the  principal  to  run  to  the  point  where 
the  picnic  was,  and  make  a  landing  at  the  wharf. 

''  To  the  point  where  the  picnic  is,  and  make  a 
landing  at  the  wharf,"  repeated  Captain  Dorn- 
wood ;  and  Paul  touched  his  hat  and  retired,  pes- 


124  ALL   TAUT;    OK, 

sibly  thinking  that  his  company  was  not  wanted 
there. 

"Didn't  you  hear  him?  What  makes  you  say 
it  over  after  him?"  asked  Lily,  as  her  brother 
was  leaving. 

"  My  uncle  requires  us  to  repeat  all  orders,  so 
as  to  be  sure  that  they  are  understood,  as  they  do 
in  the  navy,  where  he  served  several  years  when 
he  was  a  young  man.  We  do  every  thing  in  navy 
fashion  when  we  are  in  commission,  and  we  keep  up 
some  of  the  forms  even  now,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  What  are  we  going  to  the  picnic  for,  I  won- 
der," added  Lily. 

"I  haven't  the  least  idea.  I  have  learned  to 
conquer  m}^  curiosity,  or  at  least  not  to  let  it  get 
the  better  of  me,"  laughed  Dory. 

"  But  Captain  Gildrock  has  all  the  boys  now 
that  were  out  in  tlie  Goldwing.  What  do  you 
suppose  he  is  going  to  do  with  them?" 

"I  haven't  the  least  idea.  T  sliould  as  soon 
think  of  asking  tlie  minister  what  he  is  going  to 
preach  about  next  Sunday,  as  of  asking  my  uncle 
what  he  is  going  to  do." 

'^1  should  think  he  would  tell  you  without 
asking." 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  125 

"  Sometimes  he  does,  but  not  often ;  and  when 
we  are  going  to  do  any  thing  on  shore,  or  on  board 
of  the  boats,  the  orders  come  as  a  surprise  to  us." 

As  the  steamer  approached  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  Captain  Gildrock  came  on  the  hurricane 
deck,  but  he  did  not  even  look  into  the  pilot- 
house. He  began  to  walk  up  and  down,  and  Lily 
watched  him  for  a  few  minutes  with  interest. 

"  He  looks  as  though  he  had  something  in  his 
head  now,"  said  Dory,  as  he  observed  the  thought- 
ful expression  of  his  uncle. 

"  He  must  be  thinking  about  those  boys,"  sug- 
gested Lily. 

"  Very  likely  :  they  have  been  a  great  nuisance 
to  us,  for  they  have  stolen  the  boats  a  great  many 
times  before  (that  is,  the  row-boats),  when  they 
have  been  left  on  shore." 

"  Do  you  know  those  boys  ?  " 

"  Some  of  them :  we  have  had  some  dealings 
with  the  Topovers  when  they  ran  away  with  the 
barges.  But  there  is  a  lot  of  new  fellows  among 
them  now  that  I  hardly  know  by  sight.  Within 
a  week  I  have  heard  my  uncle  drop  some  few 
remarks  about  the  bad  boys  of  Genverres,  as 
though  he  was  thinking  about  them.     This  affair 


126  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

with  the  Goklwing  is  perhaps  the  text  of  his 
thoughts.  But  it  will  all  come  out,  if  there  is 
any  thing,  very  soon." 

The  Sylph  stood  across  the  mouth  of  the  bay, 
and  made  her  landing  at  the  rude  wharf  (and  it 
was  so  rude,  that  Dory  had  to  be  very  careful  in 
handling  the  yacht,  or  she  would  have  stove  it  all 
to  pieces).  When  it  was  evident  that  she  was 
going  to  stop  there,  the  picknickers  hurried  to  the 
wharf  to  see  her,  for  she  was  a  great  curiosity  to 
people  who  did  not  live  near  the  lake.  The  pres- 
ent party  were  from  twelve  miles  inland,  and 
intended  to  drive  back  to  their  home  by  moon- 
light. 

"  Can  we  be  permitted  to  go  on  board,  and  look 
at  this  steamer  ? "  asked  the  gentleman  who  had 
employed  Ash  Burton  to  sail  the  party  in  the 
forenoon,  as  he  hailed  Captain  Gildrock  on  the 
hurricane  deck.  "  Our  people  have  never  seen 
such  a  steamer  as  this  appears  to  be,  and  their 
curiosity  is  excited." 

"  How  many  people  have  you  ?  "  asked  the  prin- 
cipal. 

"  About  eighty-five." 

''  We  have  room  enouoh  for  the  whole  of  them, 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  127 

then  ;  and  I  sliall  be  happy  to  have  them  take  a 
little  trip  in  her,"  added  the  captain. 

''  You  are  very  kind,  sir  ;  and  your  invitation  is 
very  unexpected.  We  are  very  glad  to  accept, 
especially  as  we  do  not  start  for  home  till  eight 
o'clock,"  replied  Mr.  Murdock,  the  manager  of 
the  party. 

"I  have  a  little  business  with  you,  sir;  and, 
after  your  party  are  on  board,  I  should  like  to  see 
you  in  the  pilot-house." 

"Business  with  me?"  exclaimed  Mr.  Murdock, 
greatly  surprised. 

"  In  regard  to  the  boys  wlio  took  some  of  your 
party  out  to  sail,"  Captain  Gildrock  explained. 

The  picnickers  were  delighted  with  the  invita- 
tation,  and  accepted  it  with  enthusiasm.  They 
crowded  on  board  so  eagerly,  that  the  principal 
interfered  to  prevent  them  from  breaking  the 
wharf  down  with  their  weight.  They  were  soon 
on  board,  and  the  order  was  given  to  Captain 
Dornwood  to  back  out  from  the  pier. 

The  picnic-party  had  a  band  of  music  with 
them,  and  they  enlivened  the  occasion  with  their 
music.  The  passengers  satisfied  their  curiosity 
firsts  and  the  principal  conducted  Mr.  Murdock 


128  ALL   TAUT-,    OR, 

all  over  the  vessel.  The  exiiiiiiiiatioii  ended  at 
the  pilot-house,  which  both  of  them  entered.  To 
the  inquiries  made  by  Captain  Gildrock,  the  gen- 
tleman gave  him  all  the  information  he  required. 
He  had  hailed  the  Goldwing  as  she  was  passing 
the  point;  and  the  young  man  who  was  steering 
the  boat  objected,  at  first,  to  taking  any  passengers. 

As  the  captain  suspected,  Tom's  story  was  a 
tissue  of  lies,  and  that  of  Ash  Burton  and  his  com- 
panions seemed  to  be  the  simple  truth.  The  prin- 
cipal explained  that  the  sloop  was  used  without 
permission  of  the  owner,  upon  which  ]Mr.  ]\Iur- 
dock  assured  him  that  he  would  not  have  em- 
ployed her  if  he  had  known  the  fact. 

''  The  fellow  they  called  Tom  Topover  is  an  un- 
mitigated young  scoundrel,"  he  added  ;  ''  while  the 
one  who  sailed  our  parties  behaved  like  a  gentle- 
man, and  seemed  to  understand  his  business  very 
well." 

"I  think  I  comprehend  the  case  very  well  now, 
but  I  am  very  much  embarrassed  about  it,"  added 
Captain  Gildrock,  whose  brow  was  contracted 
with  the  thought  that  he  was  giving  to  the  sub- 
ject. ''  If  Tom  Topover  and  his  gang,  who  have 
robbed  my  fruit-trees  till  I  built    fences  so  high 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  129 

that  they  could  not  get  over  them,  were  all  of  the 
culprits,  I  should  prosecute  them  at  once,  though 
it  would  only  compel  their  parents,  who  are  poor 
people,  to  pay  their  fines.  Ashley  Burton  and 
the  rest  of  the  boys  who  were  left  on  shore  at  the 
picnic  are  better  boys ;  and  I  cannot  think  of 
taking  them  to  the  court,  now  that  I  have  got  at 
the  facts." 

"  It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  manage,"  added  Mr. 
Murdock. 

"I  cannot  prosecute  half  the  culprits,  and  let 
the  other  half  escape  ;  for  they  are  all  equally 
guilty  of  the  offence  against  the  law.  But  Bur- 
ton and  his  companions  came  to  me,  very  peni- 
tent, with  the  money  the  boat  had  earned ;  while 
Tom  and  his  companions  lied  till  they  were  black 
in  the  face.  As  you  say,  it  is  a  difficult  case  to 
manage.  I  shall  have  to  find  some  other  remedy 
for  my  grievances  besides  a  court  of  justice." 

The  principal  had  learned  all  the  facts  he 
wished  to  know.  Tom  had  lied  to  him  ;  while 
Ash  and  his  party  had  voluntarily  told  the  whole 
truth,  and  manifested  a  genuine  penitence.  He 
was  sure  the  latter  would  give  him  no  further 
trouble.     The  business  settled.  Captain  Gildrock 


130  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

devoted  himself  to  the  party  on  board,  and  made 
them  as  happy  as  he  could.  He  pointed  out  all 
the  objects  of  interest  on  the  lake,  nicluding  Split 
Rock,  which  finds  a  place  in  the  guide-books. 
When  he  landed  them  at  the  wharf,  they  were 
profuse  in  their  expressions  of  gratitude  for  the 
pleasant  trijo  he  had  given  them. 

At  the  wharf,  Tom  Topover  and  his  companions 
attempted  to  escape  by  getting  into  the  crowd  of 
picnickers  as  they  were  going  on  shore ;  but  Bates 
had  been  directed  to  take  charge  of  them,  and  he 
had  his  eyes  on  them.  Tom  found  himself  taken 
by  the  collar,  and  hurled  to  tlie  deck.  The  others 
retreated  to  the  bow,  where  they  had  been  ordered 
to  remain.  Tom  Topover  was  as  mad  as  a  March 
hare  when  he  rose  to  his  feet.  He  began  to  in- 
dulge in  some  foul  talk,  when  Bates  collared  him 
again  and  pitched  him  into  the  bow.  He  showed 
some  signs  of  resistance. 

''  Shut  up !  "  said  Bates,  in  a  low  tone. 

Tom  looked  at  him.  The  old  quartermaster 
was  not  the  kind  of  person  he  liked  to  deal  with, 
and  he  concluded  to  obey  him.  In  fact,  the  bully 
did  most  of  his  fighting  with  his  tongue,  and  gen- 
erally found  a  way  to  back  out  when  it  came  to 
hard  blows. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  131 

The  party  on  shore  gave  three  cheers  for  the 
steamer  and  her  polite  owner,  the  band  played  a 
parting  strain,  and  the  steamer  whistled  a  return 
of  the  compliments  paid  to  her  as  she  departed  for 
her  wharf. 

Captain  Gildrock  was  still  in  deep  thought.  In 
fact,  he  had  done  a  great  deal  of  heavy  thinking 
over  the  very  problem  which  now  occupied  his 
mind,  during  the  entire  summer.  But  he  said 
nothing  to  any  one,  and  Lily  and  Captain  Dorn- 
wood  chatted  as  merrily  as  ever  in  the  pilot-house. 
When  he  landed,  the  principal  went  to  his  library, 
attended  by  Ash  and  his  penitent  companions. 


132  ALL   TAUT  •    OR, 


CHAPTER   XII. 

A  XEW   MISSION    FOR   THE   BEECH-HILL   SCHOOL. 

~rT  was  within  two  weeks  of  the  time  for  the 
-*-  opening  of  the  Beech-Hill  Industrial  School. 
Only  one-half  of  the  students  for  the  coming 
year  had  been  engaged,  and  this  was  the  circum- 
stance which  had  given  the  principal  so  much 
thought  during  the  summer.  It  was  not  that 
there  was  a  lack  of  applicants  ;  for,  while  he  could 
accept  only  sixteen  in  addition  to  the  number 
which  remained  over,  he  had  more  than  a  hundred 
applications  for  admission. 

The  subject  had  almost  elevated  itself  to  a 
question  of  political  economy  in  the  mind  of  the 
old  shipmaster.  He  found  that  more  than  one- 
half  of  his  pupils  in  the  past  liad  been  the  sons 
of  wealthy  or  well-to-do  people,  who  were  abun- 
dantly able  to  pay  for  the  tuition  of  their  sons, 
including  all  the  branches  pursued  in  his  school. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  133 

He  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  he  could 
make  a  better  use  of  his  money  than  in  educating 
the  children  of  those  who  were  able  to  pay  for  it. 
The  institution  was  no  longer  an  experiment,  and 
the  most  important  question  was  in  regard  to  those 
who  should  be  selected  to  receive  its  benefits. 

Captain  Gildrock  had  come  to  feel  that  he 
ought  to  provide  for  those  who  were  not  able 
to  provide  for  themselves.  He  could  render  a 
greater  service  to  the  community  in  which  he 
lived,  by  fitting  for  usefulness  those  who  were 
neglected  by  their  parents,  or  who  could  not  be 
controlled  by  them,  than  by  instructing  those  who 
needed  no  assistance.  He  had  demonstrated  the 
problem  he  had  undertaken  to  solve,  and  now  he 
felt  that  he  ought  to  make  the  school  as  service- 
able as  possible  to  the  State. 

With  this  question  in  his  mind  he  had  looked 
over  the  list  of  applicants,  with  the  description 
of  each.  Against  nearly  the  whole  of  the  ques- 
tions in  the  printed  form  of  application,  which 
related  to  the  financial  ability  of  the  parents,  it 
was  written  that  they  were  wealth}^  or  that  they 
were  well  off.  With  his  new  views  of  duty,  he 
had  been  able  to  select  only  four  whom  he  was 


134  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

willing  to  accept.  He  avouIcI  not  take  pupils  at 
a  price,  and  those  who  were  able  to  pay  for  the 
education  they  desired  for  their  sons  could  estab- 
lish such  a  school  as  that  at  Beech  Hill. 

The  taking  of  the  Goldwing,  and  the  capture 
of  Tom  Topover  and  his  gang,  intensified  his 
reflections  over  the  problem.  If  he  could  reform 
and  reconstruct  such  bruisers,  and  make  them 
capable  of  taking  care  of  themselves,  as  well  as 
become  useful  members  of  society,  he  would 
render  a  more  acceptable  service  to  the  com- 
munity than  he  could  by  instructing  boys  whose 
parents  were  able  to  pay  their  tuition-bills. 

The  event  narrated  in  this  story  enabled  him 
to  come  to  a  conclusion.  He  knew  all  about  the 
Topovers.  They  had  been  a  nuisance  in  the 
town  for  years,  and  their  parents  could  do  noth- 
ing with  them.  They  would  not  work,  though 
their  parents  needed  the  little  they  could  earn. 
They  were  very  irregular  at  school  when  they 
pretended  to  go,  and  they  had  no  correct  views 
in  regard  to  the  rights  of  property.  So  far  as  he 
could  inform  himself,  they  had  average  ability, 
and  were  capable  of  being  made  into  decent  men, 
to  sav  the  least. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  135 

Of  the  original  Topovers  there  were  only  four, 
though  they  had  been  recruited  by  two  more  as 
rough  as  themselves.  These  were  the  six  who 
had  been  captured  in  the  Goldwing;  and  they 
were  now  on  the  forecastle,  in  charge  of  Bates, 
while  the  six  who  had  put  out  the  fire  were  with 
the  captain  in  his  library.  The  principal  had 
considered  what  effect  the  admission  to  the  school 
of  such  fellows  as  Tom  Topover,  Kidd  Digfield, 
and  the  others  would  have  upon  the  morale  and 
the  discipline  of  the  institution.  If  he  could  not 
reform  them,  he  could  keep  them  nnder  a  sharp 
discipline,  and  they  would  have  little  power  to 
contaminate  others. 

"  Ashley  Burton,  I  have  finished  my  examina- 
tion of  this  case ;  and  I  shall  not  prosecute  you, 
as  I  intended  at  first,"  said  the  principal,  open- 
ing the  subject  of  the  interview. 

"  Thank  you,  sir  !  "  exclaimed  Sam  Spottwood. 

The  others  said  as  much  as  this,  and  they  were 
certainly  very  grateful  to  the  captain  for  his 
indulgence. 

"  I  took  out  the  picnic-party  for  the  purpose  of 
ascertaining  the  facts.  The  gentleman  in  charge 
of  the  party  spoke  very  well  of  you,  and  fully 


136  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

confirmed  the  statement  you  made  to  me.  I 
think  you  are  sincerely  penitent  for  the  wrong 
you  have  done.  If  you  had  left  the  Goldwing 
at  the  wharf  when  you  went  ashore  first,  I  should 
have  found  no  fault  with  you  for  taking  her,  I 
should  say  that  you  had  done  just  right ;  though 
it  was  constructively  and  technically  WTong  for 
you  to  unmoor  the  boat,  even  if  you  had  lost 
your  dinner  and  your  supper.  I  am  not  a  close 
constructionist." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  sir,"  added  Sam,  who  was 
more  demonstrative  than  the  others. 

'*  I  had  started  in  my  buggy  to  intercept  you 
as  you  came  home  from  the  picnic.  On  my  way, 
there  was  an  alarm  of  fire ;  and  I  soon  heard 
that  the  house  of  the  Widow  Sankland  had  been 
burned,  and  one  of  the  children  had  lost  its  life. 
This  was  a  mistake,  for  I  met  the  engine  return- 
ing from  the  fire.  I  went  to  see  Captain  Linder, 
who  is  the  foreman  of  the  company ;  and  he  spoke 
in  the  highest  terms  of  your  conduct,  and  the 
good  judgment  you  used  in  managing  the  fire. 
No  doubt  you  saved  the  life  of  the  cliild,  and  the 
house  from  total  destruction." 

"  Ash  Burton  was  the  leader,  and  told  us  what 
to  do,"  interposed  Sam  Spottwood. 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  137 

"  You  all  did  well,  and  you  are  worthy  of  praise. 
What  you  did  at  the  fire  is  not  an  offset  for  the 
wrong  you  did  on  the  lake ;  for  a  good  deed  will 
not  balance  an  evil  one,  though  it  may  modify 
our  judgment  of  the  evil-doer.  I  have  nothing 
more  to  say  to  you  now,  and  I  am  confident  you 
will  not  again  meddle  with  any  property  of  the 
institution." 

"  We  will  not,  sir,"  replied  Ash,  as  he  took  the 
dozen  half-dollars  from  his  pocket,  and  tendered 
them  to  the  principal.  "  These  do  not  belong  to 
me,  or  to  any  of  us.  They  were  earned  with 
Dory's  boat." 

"  The  money  certainly  does  not  belong  to  you ; 
and,  obtained  as  it  was,  I  am  not  willing  that  you 
should  retain  and  enjoy  it,"  replied  the  principal. 
"We  do  not  let  the  boats  under  any  circum- 
stances, and  we  do  not  need  any  money  they 
might  earn.  I  have  spoken  to  Dory  about  the 
matter,  and  he  left  it  entirely  to  me.  I  have  de- 
cided what  shall  be  done  with  it.  It  shall  be 
given  to  the  Widow  Sankland,  who  needs  it  more 
than  you  or  your  parents,  though  they  may  not  be 
very  well  off.  You  may  carry  the  money  to  her 
to-night,  Ashley,  if  you  are  willing  to  do  so." 


138  ALL  taut;  or, 

''  Perfectly  willing,  sir ;  and  I  will  go  as  soon  as 
I  have  had  my  supper,"  replied  Ash ;  and  the 
party  left  the  house  with  lighter  hearts  than  they 
had  entered  it,  for  the  terrible  fear  of  prosecution 
no  longer  confronted  them. 

Captain  Gildrock  did  not  say  a  word  in  regard 
to  the  other  culprits  in  taking  the  sloop,  and  the 
Burton  party  wondered  if  the  principal  intended 
to  bring  them  up  before  the  court.  Hop  Cabright 
was  sure  that  he  would  not  do  so,  for  he  would 
have  served  them  all  alike.  Syl  Peckman  was 
confident  that  he  did  not  mean  to  let  them  off  as 
he  had  their  party,  for  they  had  been  captured  on 
board  of  the  sloop.  Ash  and  Sam  had  no  opinion, 
and  said  it  was  impossible  to  say  what  such  a  man 
as  Captain  Gildrock  would  do,  for  he  was  differ- 
ent from  all  the  other  men  in  Genverres. 

They  went  to  their  suppers ;  and  all  the  ques- 
tions asked  them  by  their  parents  related  to  the 
fire,  and  the  child  they  had  saved.  Nothing  was 
said  about  the  Goldwing,  and  probably  nothing- 
was  known  about  the  scrape  from  which  they  had 
so  happily  escaped. 

They  met  after  supper,  and  walked  over  to  the 
house   they  had   saved    from    destruction.     They 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  139 

found  the  Widow  Sankland  there  with  her  two 
children.  The  one  who  had  been  burned  was  on 
the  bed ;  but  she  was  quite  comfortable,  for  the 
doctor  had  prescribed  the  continuance  of  the  cold 
water,  which  was  renewed  every  few  minutes. 
The  farmer  and  his  wife  had  been  there,  and  done 
what  they  could  to  make  the  house  habitable 
after  the  fire  and  water  had  done  so  much  mis- 
chief. 

The  widow  received  the  money  which  Ash  pre- 
sented to  her,  with  many  thanks.  She  had  no 
money,  for  she  had  not  received  the  pay  for  her 
day's  w^ork.  She  said  she  was  very  poor  indeed, 
and  it  was  only  with  the  hardest  struggle  that  she 
earned  enough  to  feed  her  children,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  clothing  them. 

Mrs.  Sankland  explained  that  her  daughter  had 
lighted  the  lamp  to  go  down  cellar  for  some  milk 
for  the  little  one.  She  had  dropped  it  on  the 
floor,  and  the  fluid  had  taken  fire,  from  which  her 
dress  had  caught  when  she  tried  to  put  it  out. 

*•  Have  you  seen  any  thing  of  Pelham  to-day  ?  " 
asked  the  widow.  "  He  must  have  heard  of  the 
fire,  and  he  ought  to  have  come  home.  He  could 
help  a  good  deal  if  he  only  would.    He  could  take 


140  ALL    TAUT;    OR, 

care  of  the  cliildren  while  1  am  at  work,  but  he 
won't  even  do  that." 

Sam  Spottwood  told  her  that  Pell  had  been 
captured  with  the  other  Topovers ;  and  Ash  added 
the  rest  of  the  story,  that  they  had  been  in  the 
scrape. 

"  Something  must  be  done  with  him,  for  I  can- 
not do  any  thing  with  him.  He  won't  mind  me 
any  more  than  if  I  wasn't  his  mother,"  said  the 
widow,  wiping  the  tears  from  her  thin  face. 

"He  will  be  at  home  soon,  I  should  think," 
added  Ash. 

"  It  does  not  make  mnch  difference  whether  he 
comes  or  not :  he  does  me  no  good,  and  I  have  to 
feed  him.  I  wish  somethinGf  miofht  be  done  with 
him,  for  he  is  a  bad  boy." 

The  boys  departed  much  impressed  by  the  con- 
fessions of  the  poor  woman  ;  and  they  wished  they 
were  rich,  like  Captain  Gildrock,  that  they  might 
help  her.  But  Ash  Burton  was  willing  to  go  a 
point  beyond  wishing  that  he  was  rich,  and  he 
decided  to  apply  to  some  of  the  wealthy  people  of 
the  town  for  assistance  in  clothing  and  food  for 
her.  But  tlie  boys  had  not  gone  ten  rods  from 
the  house  before  they  met  the  carriage  of  the  rich 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  141 

man  of  the  Beech-Hill  estate.  Dory  and  his 
mother  were  with  the  captain ;  and,  as  he  stopped 
his  horses  in  front  of  the  cottage,  Dory  took  a 
large  basket  from  the  carriage.  He  carried  it  into 
the  house,  and  then  returned  to  take  care  of  the 
horses  while  his  uncle  and  his  mother  went  in. 
They  never  heard  of  a  case  of  distress  within  ten 
miles  of  their  home  without  doing  all  they  could 
to  relieve  it. 

Mr.  Sankland  had  been  a  laborer  who  worked 
on  the  farms  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  not  a 
thrifty  man,  and  he  drank  too  much  whiskey  for 
his  reliability.  He  had  died  less  than  a  year  be- 
fore, leaving  nothing  at  all ;  though  his  wife  had 
saved  enough  from  her  own  earnings  to  bury  him. 
When  she  could  get  work,  she  did  tolerably  well, 
especially  washing  that  she  could  take  home  with 
her.  In  summer  there  were  people  boarding  in 
the  town,  and  at  the  farmhouses  in  the  vicinity, 
who  gave  her  their  work ;  but  in  winter  it  had 
been  almost  a  starving  time  with  her.  In  the 
spring  an  agency  for  a  laundry  had  been  estab- 
lished in  the  place,  and  Mrs.  Sankland  lost  most 
of  her  customers. 

Mrs.  Dornwood  presented  her  with  the  contents 


142  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

of  the  basket,  which  consisted  mainly  of  meats 
and  vegetables  brought  from  the  provision  store, 
and  groceries  from  another  establishment.  The 
poor  woman  was  glad  to  get  these  things,  and 
she  soon  told  the  history  of  her  miseries.  She 
repeated  what  she  had  said  to  the  young  firemen 
about  her  son,  and  it  ended  in  the  captain's 
asking  her  if  she  was  willing  to  put  the  boy  in 
his  care.     She  was  willing  and  glad  to  do  so. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  143 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE    BEGINNING    OF    THE    TROUBLE. 

/CAPTAIN  GILDROCK  drew  from  his  pocket 
^^  a  paper  he  had  drawn  up  for  the  widow  to 
sign.  He  read  it  to  her,  explaining  its  meaning 
as  he  proceeded.  It  was  a  contract  by  which,  in 
consideration  of  her  son's  board,  clothing,  and 
tuition,  she  surrendered  to  the  principal  the  entire 
charge  of  the  boy  for  three  years.  Mrs.  Sankland 
was  entirely  satisfied  with  the  document,  and 
signed  it  without  any  hesitation. 

"  He  shall  be  as  well  treated  as  the  rest  of  the 
boys  in  the  institution,  but  he  must  obey  orders; 
and  he  will  have  no  time  to  roam  about  the 
streets  and  fields,"  said  the  principal.  "  It  is 
necessary  that  he  should  be  subjected  to  strict 
discipline ;  and  no  violence  will  be  used  unless  he 
shows  fight,  or  refuses  to  obey  an  order." 

"  He  needs  a  good  whipping  more  than  any 
thing  else,"  added  his  mother,  as  she  wiped  the 


144  ALL  taut;  or, 

tears  from  lier  eyeso  "  He  has  done  nothing  for 
me ;  and  I  cannot  afford  to  support  a  great  fellow 
like  him  in  idleness,  when  he  will  not  even  take 
care  of  the  children  while  I  am  at  my  work." 

"  I  shall  try  to  make  a  man  of  him,  Mrs.  Sank- 
land;  and,  if  no  one  interferes  with  me,  I  think  I 
shall  succeed,"  added  Captain  Gildrock,  as  he 
moved  towards  the  door. 

"There  is  no  one  on  earth  to  interfere  with 
you,  sir,  except  me  ;  and  I  am  too  glad  to  have 
him  taken  care  of  to  meddle  with  any  one  who  is 
so  kind  as  to  take  care  of  him,"  replied  the  poor 
widow. 

The  principal  and  his  sister  returned  to  the 
carriage,  and  the  captain  drove  to  the  house  of 
Tom  Topover's  father.  He  was  a  laboring  man, 
who  worked  very  hard  to  support  a  large  family ; 
and  Tom  was  the  oldest  of  the  children.  But 
they  lived  in  comfort  and  plenty  compared  with 
the  Widow  Sankland.  Neither  the  father  nor  the 
mother  was  a  person  of  much  force,  though  they 
got  along  very  well  in  the  world. 

"  I  called  to  see  you,  Mr.  Topover,  in  regard  to 
your  son  Thomas,"  the  captain  began,  when  the 
introduction  had  been  disposed  of. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  145 

"  He  is  a  bad  boy,  Captain  Gildrock  ;  and  ! 
know  that  he  has  given  you  a  deal  of  trouble  at 
one  time  and  another,"  said  the  father,  who  felt 
that  he  was  very  unfortunate  in  having  such  a 
son  ;  though  he  closed  his  eyes  to  the  fact  that  he 
had  spoiled  the  boy  by  indulgence  years  before. 

'•'•  I  am  afraid  you  ai-e  not  far  from  right,  Mr. 
Topover,"'  replied  the  captain. 

"  What  has  he  been  doing  now,  sir  ?  I  am 
sorry  he  was  not  sent  to  the  house  of  correction 
when  he  was  taken  up  on  the  other  side  of  the 
lake.  Has  he  been  troubling  you  again  ?  "  asked 
the  man. 

The  principal  explained  what  Tom  had  been 
doing,  relating  the  events  of  the  day  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Goldwing. 

"  I  am  sorry  for  it,  sir ;  but  I  can't  do  any  thing 
with  the  boy.  I  have  talked  with  him,  and  I 
have  thrashed  him  till  I  am  tired  of  it.  What 
can  I  do  with  him  ?  "  asked  the  poor  father,  puz- 
zled by  the  situation. 

''I  intended  to  prosecute  the  boys  the  next 
time  they  stole  any  of  the  boats,"  continued  the 
principal. 

*'  Do  it,  sir .     I  shall  not  object  to  any  thing 


146  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

you  do  with  1113'  boy,  for  he  deserves  the  worst  he 
is  likely  to  get  for  his  bad  behavior,*'  replied  the 
father. 

"  He  will  be  condemned  to  a  fine,  and  you  will 
have  to  pay  it,''  suggested  Captain  Gildroek. 

''I  will  not  pay  it!  I  have  done  that  twice, 
and  I  shall  not  do  it  again,''  protested  Mr. 
Topover. 

"  Then  he  will  stand  committed  till  the  fine  is 
paid." 

"  So  much  the  better  I "  exclaimed  the  desper- 
ate parent.  "  I  have  no  money  to  waste  on  a  boy 
who  treats  me  as  Tom  does.  He  won't  do  a 
thing  about  the  house ;  and,  when  he  is  out  late, 
he  makes  his  mother  get  his  supper  for  him  when 
he  comes  in.  He  is  a  bad  boy,  sir ;  and,  if  they 
keep  him  in  jail  for  six  months,  I  will  not  say  a 
word." 

''  He  needs  a  little  sharp  discipline." 

*'  That  he  does !  He  hasn't  been  near  the 
house  since  morning,  and  we  may  not  see  him 
to-night  till  nine  or  ten  o'clock.  Then  he  will 
want  his  supper,  and  a  piece  of  bread  and  butter 
and  some  pie  will  not  be  enougli  for  him.  He 
makes  such   a  row,  that   his  mother  has  to  cook 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  147 

something  for  him,  even  if  the  fires  are  all 
out." 

"  He  seems  to  be  a  perfect  tyrant  in  the  house," 
added  the  principal  with  a  smile,  as  he  realized 
that  the  boy  had  been  spoiled  by  his  parents. 

"  That's  just  what  he  is.  If  he  don't  get  what 
he  wants,  he  makes  such  a  row  that  he  wakes  all 
the  children,  and  we  have  trouble  half  the 
night." 

"  He  will  not  come  home  to-night,  unless  you 
wish  to  have  him  do  so,"  said  Captain  Gildrock, 
coming  nearer  to  his  point. 

''  I  don't  care  if  he  never  comes  into  the  house 
again,"  protested  Mr.  Topover. 

"You  don't  mean  that,  Richard,"'  mildly  inter- 
posed his  wife.  "  I  wish  the  boy  could  be  taken 
care  of,  but  I  don't  want  him  to  come  to  any 
harm." 

The  principal  took  a  paper  like  that  he  had 
read  at  the  Widow  Sankland's,  adapted  to  the 
case  of  Tom  Topover.  He  read  it,  after  he  had 
proposed  that  the  vagrant  boy  should  be  admitted 
to  the  Beech-Hill  Industrial  School.  He  ex- 
plained its  meaning  fully. 

"  We  shall  make  him  obey  orders,  but  we  shall 


148  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

use  liim  as  well  as  he  will  allow  us  to  do/'  con- 
tinued Captain  Gildrock.  "  If  both  of  you  will 
sign  this  paper,  I  will  keep  him  at  the  institution 
until  the  term  begins.  He  will  be  fed,  clothed, 
and  instructed,  and  taught  to  work  at  some  trade. 
I  think  we  should  make  a  machinist  of  him,  for 
he  seems  to  have  a  taste  for  working  with  tools 
upon  iron." 

"But  Tom  won't  agree  to  it,"  replied  Mr. 
Topover. 

"I  haven't  asked  him  to  agree  to  it,  and  I  don't 
intend  to  do  any  thing  of  the  sort.  You  are  his 
father,  and  his  legal  guardian :  you  can  do  any 
thing  you  please  with  him,  so  long  as  you  don't 
abuse  him,"  continued  Captain  Gildrock,  sharply ; 
for  he  did  not  like  the  disposition  to  temporize 
with  a  serious  case. 

'•I  should  be  very  glad  to  have  him  go  to  3^our 
school.  Captain  Gildrock,'*  added  the  father. 

"  So  should  I,  and  I  should  be  easy  about  him 
all  the  time  if  he  were  only  there,"  said  Mrs. 
Topover. 

"  Then  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  sign  this  paper. 
His  father's  name  would  be  enough  to  stand  the 
law,  but  I  prefer  to  have  his  mother's  also." 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  149 

''  When  he  comes  liome  he  will  make  a  terrible 
row,  and  "  — 

"  He  won't  come  home  till  he  is  in  a  frame  of 
mind  to  be  decent  and  respectful  to  both  of  you," 
interposed  the  captain. 

"  I  will  sign  the  paper,"  said  Mr.  Topover, 
after  some  hesitation.  ''I  can't  do  any  thing 
with  him;  and,  to  tell  the  truth.  Captain  Gild- 
rock,  I  don't  believe  you  can." 

"  Perhaps  I  can't :  I  don't  know.  I  am  willing 
to  try ;  and  I  believe  the  boy  can  be  saved, 
though  he  will  need  sharp  discipline." 

Both  the  father  and  the  mother  seemed  to  be 
afraid  of  the  tyrant  son,  and  this  was  the  trouble 
with  them.  But  they  signed  the  paper  after  a 
good  deal  of  delay ;  though  the  principal  did  not 
urge  them  to  do  so,  and  took  no  means  to  con- 
ceal the  fact  that  the  boy  would  be  subjected  to 
severe  discipline. 

The  captain  left  the  house,  promising  to  re- 
port to  the  parents  upon  the  conduct  of  the  son. 
In  the  same  manner  he  visited  the  homes  of  Kidd 
Digfield  and  Nim  Splugger.  The  father  of  the 
former  was  a  blacksmith ;  and  he  had  done  his 
best  to  get  his  son    into   his  shop  to  blow  and 


150  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

strike  for  him,  but  he  had  utterly  failed.  The 
boy  would  promise  any  thing,  but  he  did  not  keep 
his  promises.  He  was  much  pleased  with  the 
idea  of  having  his  son  admitted  to  the  school, 
and  signed  the  paper  presented  to  him,  as  did 
his  wife,  without  any  objection  or  hesitation. 

The  father  of  Nimrod  Splagger  was  a  German 
shoemaker,  who  had  married  a  Vermont  woman. 
Both  the  father  and  mother  seemed  to  be  totally 
indifferent  in  regard  to  the  welfare  of  the  boy, 
and  they  were  willing  to  sign  any  thing  that 
relieved  them  from  the  burden  of  feeding  and 
clothing  him.  The  principal's  business  at  the 
home  of  the  German  was  soon  finished;  and  he 
drove  back  to  the  mansion,  leaving  two  more 
cases  to  be  disposed  of  in  the  morning. 

The  six  captured  young  rascals  had  been  left 
on  board  of  the  Sylph,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Bristol 
and  Bates.  After  the  party  on  board  had  taken 
supper  in  the  forward  cabin,  the  young  ruffians 
were  marched  in,  and  they  had  satisfied  their 
appetites  with  the  good  things  set  before  them  ; 
and  their  imprisonment  did  not  seem  to  impair 
their  ability  to  eat  and  drink. 

After  the   meal   thev  had  been   taken  back  to 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  151 

the  forecastle.  Tom-  and  the  bolder  of  the 
vagrants  growled,  and  threatened  evil  things  to 
those  who  detained  them ;  but  they  made  no 
attempt  to  escape,  for  they  saw  that  it  would  be 
useless.  When  the  captain  appeared,  at  about 
nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  he  called  out  Raglan 
Spinner  and  Benjamin  Sinker,  whose  parents  he 
had  not  been  able  to  see  for  the  want  of  time, 
and  dismissed  them.  They  were  not  quite  as 
enterprising  as  Tom  and  Kidd  ;  but  they  were  not 
a  whit  better,  and  no  more  disposed  to  obey  their 
parents. 

Captain  Gildrock  made  no  explanations  to  the 
two  he  discharged,  and  the  young  ruffians  con- 
cluded that  they  had  fully  atoned  for  their  offence 
by  the  imprisonment  they  had  suffered.  They 
Avere  to  take  a  different  view^  of  the  matter  the 
next  day. 

The  principal  went  to  the  forecastle,  where 
the  four  ruffians  w^ere  to  be  seen  under  the 
aw^ning,  by  the  light  of  a  lantern  which  hung 
over  their  heads.  Neither  of  their  custodians 
had  said  any  thing  to  them,  and  did  not  encour- 
age any  talk  on  their  part.  They  asked  ques- 
tions  about  what   was   to   be   done   with   them ; 


152  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

but  Bates  did  not  know,  and  would  not  have 
answered  if  he  had  known.  When  they  saw 
the  captain,  they  had  worked  themselves  up  to  the 
height  of  discontent.  They  were  accustomed  to 
have  their  own  way;  and  any  restraint  was  a 
burden  to  them,  even  if  it  subjected  them  to  no 
discomfort. 

"I  want  to  go  home,"  growled  Tom  Topover 
as  soon  as  he  saw  the  principal.  "  Fm  not  going 
to  stay  here  all  night." 

"You  will  not  stay  here  all  night,"  answered 
Captain  Gildrock,  in  his  mild  tones.  "  Bates, 
you  will  take  them  to  the  dormitory,  and  give 
them  four  rooms  at  the  farther  end  on  the  left." 

"  On  the  left,  sir ;  I  understand,"  replied  the 
old  quartermaster. 

On  the  outside  of  the  windows  of  these  rooms 
was  an  iron  grating  like  that  used  in  banks  to 
cover  the  operations  of  the  cashier  or  teller. 
They  had  been  fitted  up  for  those  who  were  dis- 
posed to  run  away.  Besides  the  locks  on  the 
doors,  there  were  crossbars  across  each  of  them, 
secured  by  padlocks,  so  that  they  could  not  be 
removed. 

"  Mr.    Bristol    and    I   will   assist   you,"   added 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  153 

the  captain,  when  he  saw  that  four  of  the  young 
ruffians  might  be  more  than  a  handful  for  the 
old  man,  thougli  he  was  still  strong  and  active. 

"I  want  to  go  home,"  growled  Tom  again, 
when  he  found  that  no  notice  had  been  taken  of 
his  complaint. 

"You  will  not  go  home,  and  you  will  come 
with  me,"  continued  the  principal. 

The  trouble  began  then. 


154  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE   PRISONERS   IN   THE   DORMITORY. 

/CAPTAIN  GILDROCK  had  already  directed 
^-^  Dory  and  Paul  to  prepare  the  four  rooms 
indicated  for  the  reception  of  the  new  pupils. 
They  were  furnished  with  good  beds,  and  were 
far  more  luxurious  than  the  rooms  the  ruffians 
occupied  at  home. 

"  I'm  not  going  with  you  !  "  yelled  Tom  angrily. 
"  I  am  going  home,  and  you  haven't  any  right  to 
keep  me  here  !  " 

Captain  Gildrock  did  not  wait  to  hear  any  more. 
He  took  Tom  by  the  collar  with  his  right  hand, 
while  he  grasped  Nim  Splugger  with  the  other. 
Tom  lay  down  upon  the  deck,  and  refused  to 
move ;  but  this  made  no  difference  to  the  stalwart 
principal,  who  dragged  him  along  as  though  he 
had  been  nothing  but  a  small  parcel. 

Nim  Splugger  always  followed  his  leader,  and 
he  lay  down  also ;  but  both  of  them  were  dragged 


RIGGING    THK    BOAT.  155 

to  the  forward  gangway,  where  the  principal 
dropped  them.  Dor}^  and  Paul,  having  put  the 
rooms  in  order,  had  come  to  the  wharf.  But 
the  captain  would  not  employ  any  pupil  to  assist 
in  managing  another.  Tom  lay  upon  the  deck, 
too  obstinate  to  get  up ;  and  Nim  pursued  the 
same  policy. 

The  principal  took  a  rope,  and  tied  the  hands 
of  Tom  behind  him,  and  then  made  him  fast  to  a 
stanchion.  Taking  Nim  by  the  collar,  he  led  or 
dragged  him  to  the  dormitory,  where  he  locked 
him  into  his  room.  The  engineer  and  the  deck- 
hand did  as  much  for  Pell  Sankland  and  Kidd 
Digfield.  Each  was  crowded  into  a  room  by  him- 
self, and  left  to  his  own  reflections. 

They  returned  to  the  steamer  to  dispose  of  Tom. 
In  spite  of  his  struggles,  he  was  taken  to  his  room. 
He  fought,  kicked,  and  tried  to  lie  down ;  but,  in 
the  hands  of  two  men,  he  was  utterly  powerless. 
As  soon  as  he  was  in  the  apartment  assigned  to 
him,  the  principal  removed  the  cord  that  bound 
his  hands  behind  him. 

"  This  will  be  your  room  for  the  future,"  said 
Captain  Gildrock,  without  a  particle  of  anger  or 
indignation  in  his  tones  or  his  looks. 


156  ALL    TAUT;    OR, 

"  I'm  not  going  to  stay  here  !  I  want  to  go 
home !  "  protested  Tom,  so  mad  that  he  could  not 
help  crying  like  a  great  baby. 

"  This  is  your  home,  and  you  will  stay  here," 
added  the  principal  gently. 

"I  tell  you  I  won't  stay  here  !  I  don't  belong 
to  your  school,  and  you  have  no  right  to  keep  me 
here  !  "  howled  the  chief  ruffian. 

"  Perhaps  I  have.  I  advise  you  to  cool  off,  and 
take  things  calmly,"  continued  the  captain,  as  he 
took  the  papers  which  had  been  signed  that  even- 
ing from  his  pocket.  "  I  might  prosecute  you,  and 
you  would  be  condemned  to  pay  a  heavy  fine." 

"  My  father  would  pay  it :  I  would  make  him 
pay  it." 

"  On  the  contrary,  he  will  pay  no  more  fines  on 
your  account." 

"  Yes,  he  will !  " 

"  More  than  that,  he  will  not  be  called  upon  to 
pay  any,"  replied  Captain  Gildrock,  selecting  the 
agreement  with  Mr.  Topover  from  the  bundle. 
"  You  are  now  a  member  of  the  Beech-Hill  Indus- 
trial School,  and  you  will  be  as  well  used  as  your 
conduct  will  allow  ;  but  you  will  learn  to  obey 
orders." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  157 

"  I  am  not  a  member  of  the  school,  and  I  would 
not  be !  "  replied  Tom.  ''  I  never  joined,  and  I 
shall  not  join  I  " 

"  Perhaps  you  would  like  to  read  this  paper," 
added  the  captain,  handing  it  to  him. 

The  ruffian  was  scholar  enough  to  make  out  the 
meaning  of  the  document  at  once.  He  had  cooled 
off  to  some  extent,  and  the  contents  of  the  paper 
seemed  to  be  a  great  surprise  to  him.  He  read  it 
a  second  time,  before  he  raised  his  eyes  from  the 
writing. 

*'  Did  my  father  and  mother  sign  that  paper  ?  " 
asked  he,  as  the  principal  took  the  document  from 
his  hand  before  he  had  thought  of  tearing  it  up. 

"  You  can  see  for  yourself  that  they  did,"  re- 
plied Captain  Gildrock.  "  You  won't  obey  them, 
and  you  are  of  no  use  to  them,  and  have  made 
them  no  end  of  trouble." 

''  I  don't  believe  they  signed  it.  They  had  no 
right  to  sign  it  without  saying  any  thing  to  me," 
blustered  Tom. 

"  I  think  they  had  a  perfect  right  to  do  so,  and 
they  have  done  it.  The  paper  gives  me  entire 
control  of  you  for  the  next  three  years,  and  you 
have  no  power  to  escape  it." 


158  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

"But  I  won't  stay  here!" 

"  I  will  see  to  that  part  of  the  agreement," 
added  the  captain,  with  a  smile. 

"  My  father  and  mother  will  catch  fits  the  next 
time  I  see  them,"  moaned  Tom,  beginning  to  real- 
ize the  situation. 

"  I  shall  take  care  that  you  don't  see  them 
until  you  are  in  a  proper  frame  of  mind  to  do  so." 

"  They  have  put  me  into  this  school  for  three 
years  without  saying  a  word  to  me  I  "  blubbered 
Tom,  rising  from  his  chair,  and  beginning  to  walk 
about  the  room. 

"It  was  not  necessary  to  consult  you.  Your 
parents  have  the  right  to  dispose  of  you  as  they 
think  best,  as  long  as  they  do  not  subject  you  to 
any  abuse.  They  have  placed  you  at  this  school ; 
and  you  may  depend  upon  it,  that  you  will  stay 
here,  and  that  you  will  obey  orders.  If  you 
behave  yourself  like  a  i-easonable  being,  you  will 
enjoy  yourself,  and  we  shall  make  a  man  of  you 
before  we  are  done  with  you.  You  can  go  to  bed 
when  you  are  ready  to  do  so." 

The  principal  retired  from  the  room,  and  Bates 
secured  the  door.  It  liad  liardly  been  closed  before 
Tom  began  to  kick  against  the  wall  of  the  adjoin- 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  159 

ing  room.  Then  he  set  up  a  hideous  series  of 
yells,  that  would  have  done  credit  to  the  lungs 
of  wild  Indians.  He  upset  the  table,  and  then 
began  to  smash  the  furniture.  Crash  after  crash 
followed,  until  it  was  evident  that  all  the  furniture 
was  in  process  of  destruction. 

"  Bates,"  called  the  principal,  "  take  all  the  fur- 
niture out  of  the  brig." 

In  less  than  five  minutes  the  old  salt  reported 
that  he  had  obeyed  the  order,  and  he  was  directed 
to  unfasten  the  door  of  Tom's  room.  The  occu- 
pant was  still  smashing  the  furniture,  and  was 
engaged  in  tearing  the  bedstead  to  pieces. 

"  Remove  him  to  the  brig.  Bates,"  continued 
the  principal,  as  mildly  as  though  Tom  had  been 
a  mile  from  the  dormitory. 

When  the  door  opened,  Tom  was  stupid  enough 
to  suppose  that  he  had  carried  his  point  by  the 
racket  he  had  made.  He  suspended  his  opera- 
tions on  the  bed,  from  which  he  had  removed  the 
mattress,  and  was  taking  out  the  slats. 

*'  Have  you  got  enough  of  it  ?  "  demanded  he, 
furiously,  as  Bates  entered  the  room. 

The  quartermaster  made  no  reply,  but  took  the 
prisoner  by  the   collar.      Tom  pitched  into  him. 


160  ALL   TAUT  ;    OE, 

and  struck  at  him  with  his  fists.  Bates  bore  him 
to  the  floor,  and  then  tied  his  hands  behind  him. 
Taking  him  by  the  arm,  he  walked  him  to  the 
other  end  of  the  halL  Tom  had  heard  of  the  brig, 
in  some  of  his  talks  with  the  boys  of  the  school. 
It  was  lighted  from  the  outside,  and  its  walls  were 
as  black  as  a  cloudy  night. 

The  old  salt  made  no  remark  of  any  kind,  but 
thrust  his  prisoner  into  the  apartment.  He  re- 
moved the  cord  with  which  he  had  bound  him, 
and  then  closed  and  fastened  the  door.  The  prin- 
cipal visited  the  rooms  of  each  of  the  ruffians,  and 
gave  them  the  same  information  he  had  imparted 
to  their  leader.  If  they  were  disposed  to  resist, 
they  were  more  prudent  than  Tom  ;  and  they 
appeared  to  accept  the  situation. 

The  brig  to  which  Tom  had  been  consigned 
was  a  strong  room.  The  walls  and  ceiling  were 
covered  with  spruce  plank,  and  these  were 
sheathed  with  sheet  iron.  The  furniture  was  of 
iron,  but  this  had  been  removed.  The  interior 
had  been  painted  black,  and  it  was  gloomy  enough 
to  answer  for  a  state-prison  in  the  days  of  feudal- 
ism. The  windows  were  strongly  barred  w^ith 
iron,  and  so  was  the  aperture  through  which  the 
room  was  lighted  at  night. 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  161 

Tom  Topover  looked  about  him.  There  was 
no  furniture  to  smasli.  He  began  to  kick  against 
the  walls.  He  followed  this  with  the  most  un- 
earthly yells.  Outside,  no  attention  was  paid 
these  sounds,  and  the  prisoner  was  permitted  to 
wear  himself  out  with  his  fruitless  exertions. 

When  the  principal  had  informed  the  other 
three  that  they  were  members  of  the  school,  and 
that  they  would  be  well  treated  if  they  behaved 
well,  he  went  to  his  house.  Bates  was  to  sleep  in 
the  dormitory,  where  he  had  a  room  for  occasional 
use.  Mr.  Bristol  went  to  his  cottage.  Tom  con- 
tinued to  kick  and  pound  upon  the  walls  of  his 
prison,  till  the  patience  of  Bates  was  somewhat 
tried,  for  he  wanted  to  go  to  sleep.  Then  the  old 
salt  went  up-stairs  to  his  room  ;  and,  on  the  way, 
he  extinguished  the  lamp  which  lighted  the  brig, 
and  Tom  was  in  total  darkness.  Bates  went  to 
bed,  and  in  spite  of  the  racket  went  to  sleep. 

For  a  full  hour  longer,  Tom  kept  up  his  demon- 
strations, until  he  had  tired  himself  out ;  and  then 
he  ceased.  He  began  to  be  slee23y,  but  there  was 
no  bed  in  the  room.  He  seemed  to  think,  that, 
when  he  wanted  any  thing,  some  one  would  come 
to  supply  him  wdth  what  he  desired.     He  shouted 


162  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

with  all  his  might,  that  he  wanted  to  go  to  bed. 
But  the  quartermaster  slept  on  till  the  sun  rose 
the  next  morning.  Tom  slept  a  little  on  the  hard 
iron  floor,  and  he  was  but  little  rested  in  the 
morning. 

Bates  turned  out  with  the  sun,  and  walked 
through  the  hall.  He  heard  nothing,  and  he  went 
about  his  customary  duties.  At  seven  o'clock, 
breakfast  was  carried  to  the  prisoners  by  the  old 
sailor,  who  simply  put  the  trays  on  the  tables,  and 
retired  without  saying  a  word,  refusing  to  answer 
any  questions.  Tom  was  supplied  through  an 
opening  in  the  wall,  which  was  provided  with  an 
iron  door.  Tom  wanted  to  know  how  long  he 
was  to  stay  in  this  hole,  but  Bates  did  not  answer 
him. 

After  breakfast.  Captain  Gildrock  visited  the 
homes  of  Ben  Sinker  and  Rag  Spinner.  Neither 
of  them  had  been  home  that  night,  and  their 
parents  were  not  a  little  worried  about  them. 
The  principal  informed  them  in  regard  to  the 
events  of  the  day  before,  and  then  proposed  to 
admit  them  to  his  school.  Both  fathers  and 
mothers  were  glad  to  have  them  admitted,  and 
signed  the  papers  without  any  hesitation. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  163 

''  But  I  don't  know  where  they  are,"  said  Mr. 
Sinker,  who  was  a  journeyman  carpenter.  ''I 
will  find  my  boy  if  I  can,  and  bring  him  over  to 
you." 

Captain  Gildrock  had  hardly  reached  his  home, 
after  transacting  some  business  in  the  town, 
before  both  the  fathers  of  the  truant  ruffians 
called  upon  him.  A  man  who  had  been  fishing 
near  the  mouth  of  the  river  had  seen  the  boys 
come  down  in  a  boat  with  a  man.  On  the  lake 
the  boat  had  set  her  sail,  and  gone  to  the  north- 
ward. They  thought  the  boat  belonged  in  Bur- 
lington, and  that  the  boys  had  gone  there. 

"  You  can  go  to  your  work,  and  I  will  find 
them,"  replied  the  principal. 

"  We  have  no  work,"  said  Mr.  Sinker,  speaking 
for  himself  and  Mr.  Spinner,  who  was  also  a  jour- 
neyman carpenter. 

"  I  am  going  to  Burlington  in  the  Sylph  this 
forenoon ;  and,  if  you  choose,  you  can  go  in  her." 

About  ten  o'clock.  Captain  Gildrock  visited  the 
dormitor3^  Bates  reported  that  three  of  the  boys 
had  given  him  no  trouble,  and  that  Tom  was 
quiet  since  morning.  The  prisoners  were  taken 
from  their  rooms,  and  marched  to  the  steamer. 


164  ALL   TAUT  ;    OK, 


CHAPTER   XV. 

FIRST   LESSONS    IN    DISCIPLINE. 

/CAPTAIN  GILDROCK  had  business  in  Bur- 
^-^  lington  ;  and  it  was  more  convenient  for  him 
to  go  b}'  tlie  Sylph  than  by  rail,  as  then  he 
could  return  when  he  pleased.  Besides,  the  cool 
air  of  the  lake  was  very  enjoyable  in  the  hot 
weather.  It  required  at  least  three  persons  to 
manage  her,  which  took  the  greater  part  of  the 
home  force ;  and  the  principal  did  not  care  to 
leave  the  prisoners  in  the  dormitory  wlien  so 
many  of  them  were  absent. 

He  expected  to  have  a  great  deal  of  trouble 
with  them  ;  and  he  thought  tliat  the  sooner  he 
brought  them  into  a  state  of  subjection,  the 
better  it  would  be  for  the  new  pupils,  and  the 
better  for  the  school.  When  the  family  went 
with  him,  the  cook,  and  one  or  two  of  the  domes- 
tics,  who   enjoyed    these   excursions,  were  taken. 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  165 

and  housekeeping  was  carried  on  aboard  the 
yacht. 

Tom  Topover  had  passed  a  very  uncomfortable 
night  in  the  brig,  with  nothing  but  a  sheet-iron 
floor  to  sleep  upon.  When  he  was  brought  out 
of  his  dungeon  by  Bates,  wdio  was  the  turnkey 
on  such  occasions,  he  looked  a  good  deal  the 
worse  for  the  wear.  The  other  three  had  been 
more  sensible,  and  Jiad  slept  very  well.  The 
uniform  of  the  steamer  had  been  carried  into 
their  rooms,  and  three  of  them  had  put  it  on ; 
but  Tom  refused  to  do  so.  They  had  all  been 
supplied  with  a  good  breakfast;  and,  taken  sepa- 
rately, all  but  Tom  were  disposed  to  submit. 
They  walked  quietly  to  the  yacht  when  Bates 
told  them  what  they  were  to  do.  Tom  did  not 
make  any  forcible  resistance,  but  he  was  still 
stubborn  and  sullen. 

The  principal  was  on  the  forecastle  when  they 
arrived.  He  looked  at  them,  and  saw  that  three 
of  them  had  put  on  the  uniform,  which  indicated 
that  they  were  in  a  better  frame  of  mind.  He 
spoke  to  these  three,  and  told  them  they  were 
to  be  part  of  the  ship's  company,  and  would  do 
duty   as   deck-hands.      If   they   were   willing  and 


166  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

tractable,  they  would  be  treated  as  well  as  any 
students  of  the  school.  They  said  nothing,  and 
the  principal  did  not  ask  them  to  make  any 
promises.  He  preferred  to  judge  them  by  what 
they  did,  rather  than  b}'  what  they  said. 

"  I  see  that  you  have  not  yet  put  on  the  new 
uniform,  Thomas  Topover,"  said  the  principal, 
approaching  the  chief  of  the  ruffians. 

"  I  ain't  going  to  put  on  any  uniform ! " 
growled  Tom  in  reply.  "  I  don't  belong  to  the 
school,  and  I  ain't  going  to  join  it.*' 

"  If  you  want  to  knock  your  head  against 
solid  walls  of  stone  and  iron,  you  will  have  the 
privilege  of  doing  so  until  you  are  tired  of  it ; 
for  you  will  not  hurt  the  walls,  and  you  will 
hurt  3'our  head  —  Bates,"  called  the  captain. 

The  old  salt  j)resented  himself;  and  the  princi- 
pal directed  him  to  tie  the  hands  of  Tom  behind 
him,  and  confine  him  to  a  stanchion. 

"  I  ain't  going  to  be  tied  up  any  more  I  *'  pro- 
tested Tom. 

But  Bates  proceeded  to  obey  the  order  just  as 
though  he  had  said  nothing.  Tlie  prisoner  had 
lost  a  great  deal  of  the  pluck  he  exhibited  the 
night  before,  and  his  o2^[>osition  was  very  feeble. 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  167 

His  three  companions  looked  on  while  he  was 
secured :  they  did  not  say  he  was  a  fool  to  kick 
when  it  did  no  good,  but  they  thought  so. 

"  When  you  are  ready  to  put  on  your  uniform, 
and  act  like  a  reasonable  being,  you  will  be  re- 
leased, and  be  allowed  to  join  your  companions," 
said  the  principal  curtly. 

"  You  haven't  any  right  to  tie  me  up  in  this 
way,  and  I  won't  stand  it,"  grumbled  Tom. 

"  I  will  take  care  of  that  part  of  the  business, 
and  will  settle  the  question  of  my  right  with  any 
one  who  disputes  it,"  added  Captain  Gildrock. 
"As  long  as  you  choose  to  be  obstinate,  and 
refuse  to  put  on  your  uniform,  you  will  remain 
in  your  present  condition.  When  j^ou  want  to 
put  on  your  uniform  and  do  your  duty,  you  have 
only  to  say  so,  and  you  will  be  set  at  liberty,  as 
your  companions  are." 

Perhaps  these  last  words  were  said  quite  as 
much  for  the  benefit  of  Spinner  and  Sinker,  the 
fathers  of  the  two  missing  boys,  who  had  just 
come  on  board.  They  saw  three  of  the  four 
prisoners  on  duty,  for  they  were  sweeping  up 
the  deck.  They  hardly  knew  them  in  their  new 
uniform. 


168  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

'•  That's  the  right  way  to  serve  them,"  said 
S2")inner  to  the  principal.  ''I  hope  you  will  make 
my  boy  mind,  for  I  don't  have  time  to  look  out 
for  him  when  I  have  work/' 

"  The  one  thing  required  of  the  boys,  above  all 
others,  is,  that  they  shall  obey  orders,"  replied 
Captain  Gildrock.  "  If  they  do  that,  and  try  to 
discharge  their  duty,  they  will  be  all  right  here ; 
for  I  give  them  plenty  of  recreation,  and  provide 
them  with  the  means  to  be  happy  and  contented." 

Tlie  steamer  backed  away  from  the  wharf,  and 
commenced  her  trip  down  Beechwater.  Bates  re- 
mained on  the  forecastle  ;  and  when  he  found  that 
the  three  boys  were  willing  to  obey,  or  that  they 
did  obey,  whether  they  were  willing  or  not,  he  did 
not  give  them  any  hard  work  to  do.  He  limbered 
up  his  tongue,  and  began  to  explain  their  duties 
to  them.  In  spite  of  themselves,  they  were  in- 
terested. 

He  took  them  to  all  parts  of  the  steamer,  and 
pointed  out  the  lines  they  were  to  handle  in  mak- 
ing fast  to  a  wharf.  He  showed  them  how  tlio 
boats  were  lowered  into  the  water,  and  manned, 
and  gave  them  all  the  instruction  they  could 
digest.     Kidd   Digfield  was   not  willing   to   con- 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  169 

fess  it,  but  he  found  that  he  rather  liked  life  on 
board  of  a  steamer. 

When  he  had  finished  his  lesson,  the  quarter- 
master went  on  deck  to  report  to  Captain  Gild- 
rock,  that  the  three  boys  were  as  tame  as  kittens, 
and  he  did  not  think  there  would  be  any  trouble 
Avith  them.  The  captain  was  not  at  all  confident 
that  this  would  be  the  case,  and  asked  Bates  if 
he  had  left  them  alone ;  suggesting  that  they 
might  release  Tom,  and  take  to  one  of  the  boats, 
which  he  had  instructed  them  how  to  put  into 
the  water. 

"I  want  Kidd  Digfield  and  Nim  Splugger  to 
say  a  word  or  two  to  Tom,  and  I  have  given  them 
a  chance  to  do  so,"  replied  Bates.  "  They  will 
tell  him  that  he  is  a  fool  to  resist." 

''  Perhaps  they  will,"  added  the  principal,  with 
a  smile. 

"I  know  they  will,  and  Tom  will  ask  to  put  on 
the  uniform  in  less  than  half  an  hour,"  persisted 
Bates. 

And  he  was  right.  The  old  man  had  had  a 
great  deal  of  experience,  and  could  form  some 
idea  of  what  the  young  ruffians  were  thinking 
about.     He  went  to  the  ladder,  and  looked  down 


170  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

to  the  forecastle,  without  allowing  them  to  see 
him.  As  he  supposed  they  would,  they  went  to 
Tom  as  soon  as  they  saw  that  they  were  alone. 
But  Tom  had  been  the  first  to  speak. 

"You  are  the  three  biggest  fools  I  ever  saw!" 
he  muttered,  as  they  walked  towards  him.  "  Wliat 
did  you  cave  in  for  ?  You  are  acting  like  so  many 
spring  chickens." 

"  What  would  you  have  us  do  ? "  asked  Kidd, 
with  a  broad  grin ;  for  he  felt  that  he  ought  to 
apologize  for  his  submission,  when  his  chief  had 
resisted  to  the  utmost. 

"  If  you  would  do  as  I  do,  they  would  soon  get 
sick  of  it,  and  let  us  go,"  replied  Tom. 

"  It's  no  use  to  buck  your  head  against  a  stone 
wall.  You  don't  hurt  the  wall  any,  as  the  captain 
says;  and  you  do  hurt  your  head,"'  replied  Nim 
Splugger.  "  We  are  going  to  take  things  easy  till 
we  have  a  good  chance  to  do  something,  and  then 
we  are  going  to  do  it." 

"That's  the  best  way,"  added  Kidd.  "They 
think  wc  have  given  in,  and  treat  us  very  w^ell." 

"  We  had  a  good  bed  last  night,  and  every  thing 
was  nice.  If  we  had  done  as  you  did,  we  should 
have  had  to  sleep  on  tlie  floor,"  argued  Nim. 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  171 

''  But  I  won't  stand  it." 

"  You  can't  help  yourself,  Tom." 

The  chief  had  begun  to  weaken.  Even  if  he 
wanted  to  escape,  the  best  way  was  to  do  as  his 
compauions  had  done.  When  Bates  had  allowed 
them  time  enough  to  consider  the  matter,  he  came 
below.  Tom  at  once  asked  him  for  the  uniform. 
He  was  released,  and  taken  to  a  stateroom,  from 
which  he  soon  came  out  dressed  like  his  com- 
panions. His  duties  were  explained  to  him,  and 
he  listened  in  sullen  silence. 

The  day  was  very  pleasant,  with  scarcely  any 
wind  ;  and,  when  the  Sylph  had  passed  Split  Rock, 
Dory  discovered  a  sailboat  trying  to  get  ahead  in 
the  light  breeze.  With  the  glass,  he  discovered 
that  it  contained  a  man  and  two  boys.  Paul  Bris- 
tol was  doing  duty  as  wheelman,  and  he  was  sent 
to  the  principal  to  report  the  fact. 

The  boat  had  scarcely  a  particle  of  wind,  and 
had  not  yet  made  half  the  distance  to  Burlington. 
The  two  boys,  Rag  Spinner  and  Ben  Sinker,  had 
been  broiling  in  the  hot  sun  all  the  forenoon ;  and 
they  were  willing  enough  to  accept  the  invitation 
to  go  on  board  of  the  steamer,  though  without 
understanding  the  reason  for  the  request.     The 


172  ALL    TAUT;    OR, 

man  in  the  boat  asked  to  be  taken  in  tow ;  but 
Captain  Gildrock  ordered  the  Sylph  to  go  ahead, 
without  heeding  the  request. 

Raglan  Spinner  was  not  a  little  astonished  to 
find  his  father  on  board  of  the  steamer,  and  Ben 
Sinker  w^as  hardly  less  surprised.  At  the  next 
glance  they  saw  their  companions  of  the  day 
before  dressed  in  the  uniform  of  the  Industrial 
School,  and  this  was  a  still  greater  surprise.  They 
began  to  see  why  they  had  been  invited  to  go  on 
board  of  the  Sylph. 

"  So  you  were  going  to  run  awa}^  Raglan, 
were  you  ?  "  said  Mr.  Spinner  sternly,  as  he  con- 
fronted his  son.  ''  Why  didn't  you  come  home 
last  night? '' 

"  I  didn't  like  to  after  the  scrape  we  got  into 
yesterday,"  pleaded  Rag,  with  a  laugh ;  and  it 
was  apparent  that  he  did  not  stand  in  awe  of  his 
father. 

''  I  have  put  you  where  I  can  find  you  when  I 
want  you,"  continued  the  carpenter.  "-  You  will 
spend  the  next  three  years  in  the  care  of  Captain 
Gildrock." 

"All  right:  we  shall  have  plenty  of  boating," 
replied  the  boy. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  173 

The  two  boys  were  immediately  supplied  with 
a  uniform,  and  took  their  places  with  the  other 
Topovers  on  the  forecastle.  Bates  proceeded  to 
go  over  his  instructions  for  deck-hands  again,  for 
the  benefit  of  the  new-comers. 

Before  they  reached  Burlington  the  principal 
shot  a  duck  on  the  wing,  and  the  bird  dropped 
into  the  water.  The  steamer  was  stopped,  and 
the  captain  gave  the  order  for  the  port-quarter 
boat  to  be  put  into  the  water,  and  the  bird  secured. 
Under  the  direction  of  Bates,  the  deck-hands  had 
an  opportunity  to  apply  the  knowledge  they  had 
gained.  The  original  Topovers  were  ordered  to 
the  thwarts,  and  Bates  acted  as  coxswain.  The 
bird  was  dead,  and  not  likely  to  escape ;  so  that 
the  officer  in  charge  of  the  boat  did  not  hurry 
himself.  He  took  time  to  instruct  his  pupils  ni 
pulling  a  man-of-war  stroke ;  and,  before  they 
reached  the  duck,  they  did  tolerably  well,  for 
they  had  learned  to  row  before. 

When  the  steamer  reached  her  destination,  she 
did  not  go  up  to  a  wharf  as  usual ;  but  the  order 
was  given  to  let  go  the  anchor  just  outside  of  the 
breakwater.  The  principal,  with  a  smile,  said  it 
would  be   cooler  here   than   at  the   wharf,  while 


174  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

those  on  board  were  waiting  for  him.  The  boat 
was  dropped  into  the  water  again,  and  the  same 
crew  pulled  the  captain  to  the  shore.  While  he 
was  attending  to  the  business  of  the  bank,  of 
which  he  was  a  director,  Bates  gave  his  pupils  a 
lesson  in  managing  the  boat,  and  handling  the 
oars.  In  an  hour  the  principal  was  ready  to  go 
on  board,  and  the  steamer  returned  to  Genverres. 


KIGGING   THE  BOAT.  175 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

THE   PUPILS   FOR   THE   NEXT   YEAR. 

A  S  soon  as  the  fathers  of  the  last  two  recruits 
■^-^  to  the  school  had  been  landed,  the  Sylph 
went  out  to  the  lake  again,  and  started  on  a  long 
cruise,  from  which  she  did  not  return  till  after 
dark.  The  principal  went  ashore  at  Plattsburgh, 
and  the  boys  took  some  more  lessons  in  rowing. 

At  dinner  and  supper  on  this  day,  the  Topovers 
were  seated  with  the  family,  and  were  not  re- 
quired to  sit  at  a  second  table.  On  the  return, 
Kidd  Digfield  was  sent  to  the  pilot-house  to  take 
a  lesson  in  steering,  for  any  of  the  deck-hands 
were  liable  to  be  called  upon  to  act  as  wheel- 
men. The  reprobate  was  not  willing  to  confess 
that  he  was  delighted  with  this  occupation,  even 
though  he  had  to  act  under  the  orders  of  Dory 
Dornwood. 

He  soon  got  the  hang  of  the  wheel ;  and  because 


176  ALL  TAUT;   OR, 

he  was  interested  in  his  occupation,  in  spite  of  his 
efforts  to  appear  otherwise,  he  was  an  apt  scholar. 
It  was  not  a  difficult  thing  to  learn,  as  long  as  a 
course  was  given  to  him ;  and  he  soon  felt  quite 
at  home  at  the  wheel. 

"  I  rather  like  this  thing,"  said  Kidd,  when  he 
joined  his  associates  on  the  lower  deck.  *'  I  have 
steered  the  steamer  nearly  all  the  way  since  we 
left  Plattsburgh." 

"  You  are  a  traitor,  Kidd  Digfield !  "  was  the 
reply  with  which  the  chief  To^jover  received  this 
manifestation  of  pride  on  the  part  of  one  of  his 
band.     '•  You  will  give  us  all  away." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  traitor,  Tom  Topover?" 
demanded  Kidd. 

''Do  you  think  I  would  let  Dory  Dornwood 
boss  me  ?  ''  growled  Tom. 

''  He  is  the  captain  of  the  steamer ;  and  I  would 
rather  have  him  boss  me  in  the  steamer,  than  have 
you  do  it  in  a  sailboat,  for  he  knows  what  he  is 
about  every  time." 

"All  right  I  You  have  gone  over  to  the  en- 
emy." 

"  What's  the  use  to  talk  about  bossing,  Tom  ?  " 
interposed  Nim  Splugger.     "You  want  to  be  boss 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  177 

all  the  time ;  and,  in  a  boat,  you  are  ten  times  as 
rough  with  a  fellow  as  Dory  Dornwood.  He  is 
as  polite  as  a  dancing-master." 

"  Then  you  are  going  to  leave  me  to  fight  this 
thing  out  alone  ?  "  demanded  Tom,  disgusted  with 
the  admissions  of  his  friends.  "  You  don't  catch 
me  bending  my  knee  to  Dory  Dornwood." 

"  He  don't  ask  any  fellow  to  bend  his  knee  to 
him.  He  shows  you  how  to  do  a  thing,  and  don't 
bully,  like  you  do,  Tom,"  added  Kidd. 

"  If  you  think  more  of  him  than  you  do  of  me, 
you  can  throw  me  over,"  added  Tom,  with  a  show 
of  meekness."  "  But  I  thought  you  were  going 
to  make  the  best  of  it  till  we  had  a  good  chance 
to  make  a  strike." 

"  I  am  making  the  best  of  it,  and  I  am  getting 
along  first-rate,"  added  Kidd,  as  he  turned  upon 
his  heel  and  walked  away. 

"  When  there  is  a  chance  to  do  any  thing,  you 
will  find  us  there,"  added  Nim  Splugger.  "But 
I  think  you  are  making  a  fool  of  yourself,  by  set- 
ting your  teeth  even  against  things  you  like.  I 
have  had  a  first-rate  time  to-day,  and  we  are  liv- 
ing as  well  as  we  should  at  the  hotel." 

"  And  when  you  go  on  shore  you  will  be  locked 


178  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

into  a  room  with  iron  bars  on  the  windows," 
sneered  Tom. 

"  The  room  has  a  good  bed,  and  every  thing  a 
fellow  wants  in  it.  The  lock  and  the  bars  don't 
hurt  me,  but  they  will  not  be  kept  up  a  great 
while.  I  didn't  expect  to  like  it ;  but  I  do  like  it, 
and  we  are  having  plenty  of  fun  every  hour  in  the 
day." 

"  I  don't  want  to  cave  in,  but  I  like  this  thing 
as  well  as  Kidd  and  Nim,"  added  Pell  Sankland. 

"  It  is  vacation  now,  and  we  are  doing  nothing 
but  play  with  this  steamer.  What  will  you  do 
when  you  are  set  down  to  your  books,  or  made  to 
shove  a  foreplane  all  the  afternoon?"  asked  Tom, 
with  the  curl  of  disgust  hanging  about  his  lips 
still. 

''What  did  we  build  the  Thunderer  for  ?  "  de- 
manded Nim  sharply. 

"  For  fun,  of  course.  We  shouldn't  have  done 
it  if  it  had  been  hard  work."' 

"  All  the  tools  we  had  were  a  shingling-hatchet, 
a  bucksaw,  and  a  lialf-inch  auger;  and  we  worked 
for  a  week  for  the  fun  of  it ! "  exclaimed  Nim 
warmly.  "  Do  you  think  there  will  be  any  less 
fun  in  working  three  or  four  hours  in  the  after- 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  179 


noon    with   good    tools,    and    machinery    to    help 


us 


9" 


"  It's  no  use  to  talk  with  you,  Nim  Splugger. 
You  have  sold  out,''  replied  Tom.  "You  want  to 
be  under  Dory  Dornwood's  thumb ;  and  you  may 
do  it  if  you  like,  I  shall  not." 

"  You  will  be  under  his  thumb  just  as  much  as 
I  am,  whether  you  like  it  or  not ;  and  if  you  want 
to  get  licked  into  doing  what  you  are  told,  like  a 
contrary  horse,  you  can  do  it  if  you  like,''  an- 
swered Nim,  as  he  turned  on  his  heel,  as  his 
companion  had  done,  and  left  the  impracticable 
leader. 

"  Those  fellows  don't  like  to  study  their  lessons 
any  better  than  I  do,  and  I  guess  they  will  have 
enough  of  it  here,"  added  Tom. 

'*  We  can  all  read,  write,  and  cipher ;  and  we 
don't  have  to  study  such  things  as  w^e  did  at  the 
town-school,"  replied  Pell  Sankland. 

"I  am  not  going  to  stay  in  this  school  any 
longer  than  I  can  help.  As  soon  as  I  get  a  chance, 
I  shall  be  among  the  missing,  though  all  the  rest 
of  the  fellows  have  deserted  me,"  added  Tom. 

"  I  don't  believe  in  kicking  at  nothing,  Tom," 
argued  Pell.     "  It  only  wrenches  a  fellow's  foot. 


180  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

We  have  all  liad  a  good  time  since  we  were  raked 
in,  and  I  don't  believe  in  making  a  row  as  long  as 
things  go  well  with  us.  You  don't  get  such  roast 
beef  as  we  had  for  dinner  to-day  when  you  are  at 
home,  nor  such  puddings  and  pies/' 

"  The  grub  is  good  enough,  but  I  would  rather 
be  free  than  to  be  Avell  fed.  T  must  have  my 
liberty." 

"  We  have  liberty  enough  for  me  on  board  of 
this  steamer,''  said  Pell,  as  in  turn  he,  too,  turned 
on  his  heel,  and  left  the  chief  to  his  own  reflec- 
tions. 

Tom  Topover  was  restored  to  the  room  in  which 
he  had  first  been  placed ;  and  he  had  a  good  bed, 
though  he  was  locked  in,  and  the  iron  bars  con- 
fronted him  at  the  windows.  As  the  recruits  w^ere 
not  outwardly  refractory,  they  were  taken  to  the 
table  in  the  house,  with  the  others  of  the  princi- 
pal's family;  for  he  regarded  his  students  as  a  part 
of  his  family,  and  treated  them  as  such. 

Every  day  during  the  week  the  Sylph  was  mov- 
ing about  the  lake.  In  conformity  with  his  new 
idea,  the  principal  was  notifying  the  parents  of 
the  new  pupils  he  had  decided  to  accept  for  the 
term  of  the  coming  year.     The}'  were  all  the  sons 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  181 

of  poor  people,  and  some  of  them  were  quite  as 
hard  boys  as  Tom  Topover.  In  fact,  he  had  se- 
lected them  because  the}^  were  not  controllable 
by  their  parents  and  teachers.  The  Beech-Hill 
School  was  to  assume  the  character,  in  part,  of  a 
reformatory  institution. 

The  half  of  the  school  that  remained  over  were 
in  excellent  discipline,  and  would  give  the  princi- 
pal no  trouble.  Three  days  before  the  term  was 
to  begin,  there  were  still  six  vacancies  in  the  roll, 
and  the  principal  was  in  doubt.  Just  at  this  time 
he  received  a  visit  from  the  six  young  firemen,  as 
he  called  them  to  distinguish  them  from  the  rest 
of  the  Topovers,  with  whom  they  had  been  asso- 
ciated. The  principal  was  rather  surprised  to  see 
them.  He  had  learned  from  his  sister,  that  they 
had  been  actively  employed  in  rendering  assist- 
ance to  the  Widow  Sankland  since  the  fire,  not 
only  in  soliciting  articles  of  clothing  and  food  for 
them,  but  in  sawing  and  splitting  her  wood,  and 
doing  other  chores  about  the  house.  Two  of  them 
had  even  spent  three  days  in  taking  care  of  the 
children  when  she  was  at  work ;  for  the  fire,  and 
the  "  advertising  "  it  had  given  her,  had  brought 
her  a  considerable  increase  of  customers. 


182  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

"  Well,  boys,  what  can  I  do  for  you  this  time  ?  *' 
asked  the  principal,  with  a  pleasant  smile  :  for  he 
was  very  kindly  disposed  towards  them  since  he 
had  heard  of  their  good  deeds. 

"  We  are  almost  sorry  that  we  were  not  cap- 
tured with  the  rest  of  the  Topovers,  in  the  Gold- 
wing,"  said  Ash  Burton,  with  a  smile,  to  indicate 
that  he  did  not  quite  mean  what  he  said. 

"  If  you  had  been,  perhaps  I  should  have  pros- 
ecuted the  whole  of  you,"  replied  the  captain, 
pleasantly.  "  But  T  don't  quite  understand  the 
force  of  your  remark."' 

''  Tom  Topover  and  the  rest  of  them  have  been 
rewarded  for  their  part  in  the  affair  by  being 
admitted  as  pupils  of  the  Beech-Hill  Industrial 
School,''  continued  Asli.  "  If  we  had  been  caught 
in  the  boat,  and  stuck  to  the  lies  Tom  told,  we 
miglit  have  been  admitted  also.'' 

"Rewarded?"  exclaimed  Captain  Gildrock. 
"  They  have  been  close  prisoners  since  they  were 
admitted.  They  are  locked  into  their  rooms  at 
night,  and  the  windows  are  protected  with  iron 
bars.     Do  you  call  that  rewarding  them  ?  " 

"I  slionldn't  care  any  thing  about  the  barred 
windows  if  I  could  only  be  admitted,"  said  Sam 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  183 

Spottwood.  "  I  don't  say  that  if  stealing  a  boat 
is  the  way  to  get  in,  we  shall  try  to  get  in  that 
way ;  but  some  other  fellows  might  say  so." 

"  But  all  four  of  the  original  Topovers  fought 
with  all  their  might  against  the  discipline,  till  we 
brought  them  to  terms ;  and  I  am  sure  they  do 
not  consider  their  admission  as  a  reward,  but  as  a 
severe  punishment,  even  worse  than  being  brought 
up  before  a  court." 

"  They  have  been  in  the  school  over  a  week, 
sir:  do  they  still  keep  up  the  fight?"  asked  Ash. 

"  No :  they  have  had  enough  of  it,  and  are  be- 
having very  well,"  replied  the  principal  thought- 
fully. 

"  We  have  talked  the  matter  over  among  our- 
selves, and  with  our  parents.  We  all  agree  that 
the  Topovers  were  lucky  to  get  into  the  school, 
and  we  all  wish  we  were  in  their  shoes." 

"  Then  I  will  admit  you  all,"  replied  Captain 
Gildrock. 

"  Will  you  indeed,  sir  ?  We  will  not  give  you 
any  trouble,  and  we  won't  run  away  if  you  don't 
lock  us  up  nights !  "  exclaimed  Sam. 

The  boys  went  home  to  inform  their  parents  of 
the  good  news.     They  were  all  the  children  of 


184  ALL   TAUT;    OK, 

parents  who  could  not  afford  to  pay  their  tuition 
in  any  school,  whatever  they  might  learn  there ; 
and,  in  this  respect,  they  were  within  the  rule  the 
principal  had  laid  down  for  his  guidance.  He  had 
been  thinking  over  this  question  of  admission  that 
day.  He  had  already  decided  to  receive  ten  re- 
fractory boys,  and  he  thought  this  would  be 
enough  to  enable  him  to  try  the  question  of 
reform. 

He  was  not  pleased  with  the  statement  that  he 
had  rewarded  the  Topovers  by  receiving  them, 
and  he  was  willing  to  do  something  to  remove 
such  a  mistaken  impression  in  the  community. 
The  ranks  of  both  classes  were  full  now,  and  he 
had  only  to  think  of  the  actual  work  of  the  first 
term.  Before  the  end  of  the  last  week,  the  in- 
structors arrived  :  and  they  were  not  especially 
pleased  when  they  learned  the  character  of  some 
of  the  new  scholars. 

The  principal  explained  his  new  idea  to  them, 
and  they  were  willing  to  co-operate  with  him  in 
carrying  out  his  purpose.  Mr.  Brookbine,  the 
master  carpenter,  was  a  disciplinarian  himself; 
and  he  did  not  object  to  the  original  Topovers, 
or  to  the  hard  boys  from  Whitehall,  Plattsburgh, 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  185 

and  Burlington.  He  was  confident  that  he  could 
make  them  work.  If  they  did  not  take  kindly  to 
the  use  of  tools,  he  would  set  them  to  lugging 
lumber,  or  something  of  that  sort,  till  they  got 
over  their  sulkiness. 

"As  we  used  to  say  in  the  navy,  we  must  keep 
every  thing  'all  taut,'  and  we  shall  get  along 
very  well,"  said  the  principal. 


186  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

TOM   TOPOVER   FINDS   HIMSELF   IGNORED. 

/^N  the  first  day  of  the  new  term,  Captain  Gild- 
^-^  rock  made  his  usual  speech  of  welcome  and 
explanation.  Just  one-half  of  the  school  were 
new  scholars,  and  it  took  a  week  to  get  them 
properly  classified.  Nearly  one-third  of  the  num- 
ber were  ''hard  boys;"  though  six  of  them  had 
been  disciplined  for  two  weeks,  on  board  of  the 
steamer.  But  the  new  pupils  had  not  learned 
their  duties  in  the  schoolroom. 

Tom  Topover  had  come  to  that  part  of  the  pro- 
gramm^e  of  the  institution,  where  he  expected  to 
recover  his  lost  prestige  as  a  leader  of  his  gang. 
Study  had  always  been  an  abomination  to  him  : 
and  he  supposed  it  was  to  his  companions,  the 
original  Topovers.  For  liimself,  he  refused  to 
make  any  effort  to  apply  himself;  and,  when 
called  upon  for  a  recitation,  he  was  entire!}'  un- 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  187 

prepared.  He  thought  he  could  get  the  better  of 
his  teachers  and  the  principal  in  this  department. 

Mr.  Darlingby  sent  him  to  his  room  to  learn  his 
lesson  when  he  failed.  Tom  laughed  in  his  sleeve, 
at  this  sort  of  discipline.  He  stretched  himself 
on  the  bed,  and  went  to  sleep.  At  dinner-time 
his  meal  consisted  of  nothing  but  bread  and 
butter,  and  cold  water.  Tom  did  not  touch  it ; 
for  he  was  disgusted  with  such  food,  after  the 
good  living  he  had  so  greatly  enjoyed  since  he 
came  to  the  school. 

Kidd  Digfield  and  the  others  did  the  best  they 
could  with  their  lessons,  and  were  subjected  to 
no  discipline  on  account  of  them.  They  had  been 
to  the  grammar  school,  and  were  fair  scholars  in 
the  ordinary  branches.  No  difficult  tasks  were 
assigned  to  them,  and  they  passed  the  forenoon 
with  infinitely  better  satisfaction  to  themselves 
than  they  had  expected. 

In  the  afternoon,  when  the  students  were  as- 
sembled in  the  shops,  they  all  felt  more  at  home. 
They  were  provided  with  tools,  all  in  good  order, 
and  required  to  make  a  box  two  feet  long,  a  foot 
wide,  and  eight  inches  deep.  This  was  the  work 
of  all  the  new  boys ;  and  the  use  of  the  tools  was 


188  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

explained  to  them,  precisely  as  it  had  been  to  all 
the  classes  who  had  preceded  them. 

All  of  them,  wherever  they  came  from,  took 
kindly  to  this  lesson.  It  was  a  new  thing  to 
most  of  them,  even  to  those  who  had  some  little 
skill  in  tinkering.  Kidd  Digfield  declared  at 
night,  when  the  shopwork  was  finished,  that  he 
had  had  a  first-rate  time.  In  fact,  he  and  his  com- 
panions, with  the  exception  of  Tom,  were  fairly 
reconstructed.  It  was  nothing  but  fun  to  make 
a  box,  with  such  excellent  tools  as  they  were  pro 
vided  with ;  and  they  laughed  when  they  thought 
of  the  bungling  Avork  they  had  done  on  the 
Thunderer. 

After  supper,  there  was  still  an  hour  and  a  half 
of  daylight,  and  the  barges  were  manned  with 
their  new  crews.  One  of  them  was  assigned  to 
the  new  pupils  for  the  first  lessons,  and  Dory 
Dornwood  was  to  act  as  coxswain.  But  Captain 
Gildrock  was  in  the  Marian,  with  a  crew  of  five 
of  the  old  boys ;  and  he  kept  near  enough  to  quell 
a  rebellion  if  one  should  break  out.  But  this 
was  fun  for  the  boys;  and  tlicy  were  instructed 
according  to  the  man-of-war  rules,  rallier  than 
those  of  the  sporting  fraternity. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  189 

Tom  Topover,  from  the  grated  window  of  his 
chamber,  saw  his  companions  in  the  boats,  and 
wished  he  were  with  them.  It  had  not  occurred 
to  him  that  he  was  to  be  deprived  of  his  air 
and  exercise,  and  be  kept  in  his  room  after  the 
closing  of  the  study-hours.  He  realized  now,  that 
he  was  to  be  kept  a  prisoner  in  his  room,  on  bread 
and  water,  until  he  learned  his  lesson. 

He  had  some  mechanical  taste ;  and  he  had 
looked  forward,  with  something  like  pleasure,  to 
the  time  when  he  should  be  required  to  handle 
the  tools  in  the  shop.  Enough  had  been  said 
among  the  boys  in  regard  to  this  part  of  their 
daily  duties  to  inspire  his  ambition,  and  he  ex- 
pected to  distinguish  himself  in  this  department. 
On  Saturday  the  sliip's  company  of  the  Sylph 
was  to  be  organized,  as  it  had  been  in  the  two 
preceding  years ;  but  the  lessons  came  first. 

The  supper  of  the  prisoner  was  the  same  as 
his  dinner  had  been.  He  was  so  faint,  that  he 
ate  his  allowance,  and  drank  the  glass  of  water 
that  came  with  the  food ;  but  he  did  it  with  a 
rebellious  soul.  In  the  evening  he  heard  the 
voices  of  his  companions  about  the  dormitory. 
The  excited  speech  and  the   noisy  laugh  in  the 


190  ALL  TAUT  ;    OR, 

adjoining  rooms,  as  his  late  associates  talked  over 
the  experiences  of  the  day,  indicated  that  they 
were  all  happy.  But  no  one  went  near  him  after 
he  had  eaten  his  supper.  As  he  listened  to  the 
sounds  which  came  to  liim,  he  lieard  his  friends 
say  that  the  bars  had  been  removed  from  the 
windows  of  their  rooms  sometime  during  the  day. 

In  fact,  Tom's  three  cronies  were  on  precisely 
the  same  footing  now  as  even  the  older  pupils 
of  the  school.  They  were  not  locked  into  their 
rooms  that  night;  for  they  had  accepted  the  sit- 
uation, and  were  doing  all  that  was  required  of 
them  in  a  cheerful  spirit.  In  the  boat,  Dory 
Dornwood  had  instructed  them  in  the  use  of 
the  oars;  but  he  had  done  it  so  pleasantly  and 
politely,  that  they  could  not  find  a  word  of  fault 
with  him. 

It  was  plain  to  Tom,  that  his  friends  had  sur- 
rendered without  conditions;  though  they  still 
said  they  were  acting  only  from  motives  of  policy. 
It  was  no  use,  they  continued  to  sa}',  to  buck 
their  heads  against  a  stone  wall.  It  was  easier 
to  do  their  duty  tlian  it  was  to  rebel,  and  take 
the  consequences. 

At  about  dark  the   rebellious  chief  heard  the 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  191 

voices  of  his  cronies  in  the  next  room,  which  was 
Kidd  Digfield's.  The  discipline  had  been  relaxed 
in  their  favor,  for  they  had  not  before  been 
allowed  to  visit  one  another's  rooms.  They  did 
not  talk  about  him  :  he  had  not  heard  his  name 
mentioned  by  them.  He  felt  very  lonely,  and 
very  much  hurt  by  the  want  of  loyalty  to  him 
on  their  part.  He  rapped  several  times  on  the 
wall.  It  was  more  to  see  if  they  would  notice 
his  signal  than  for  any  other  reason. 

Kidd  knocked  on  the  wall,  in  reply  to  the  call. 
Tom  asked  him  to  come  to  the  door,  and  speak 
to  him  through  the  keyhole.  Kidd  replied  that 
he  could  not  do  it,  they  were  forbidden  to  have 
any  communication  with  him.  This  he  said  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  by  the  prisoner.  He  did  not 
care  who  else  heard  him,  though  he  suspected  that 
Bates  could  not  be  far  off. 

The  answer  roused  the  anger  of  the  bully,  and 
he  began  to  use  some  strong  language.  Nim 
Splugger  advised  Kidd  not  to  make  any  reply. 
This  increased  Tom's  wrath;  and  he  called  them 
traitors,  so  that  his  voice  could  be  heard  half  the 
length  of  the  hall.  Then,  in  his  anger,  he  resorted 
to   kicking   against   the    wall    again.     This   soon 


192  ALL    TAUT  ;    OR, 

brought  Bates.  The  door  was  unlocked  ;  and,  with- 
out a  word  of  any  kind,  the  old  salt  collared  him, 
and  marched  him  .to  the  brig.  The  furniture  had 
not  been  restored  to  its  place,  and  he  was  left 
alone  in  the  iron-bound  cell. 

To  Tom  Topover,  the  most  galling  feature  ot 
the  discipline  was  in  the  fact  that  no  notice  had 
been  taken  of  him.  Even  his  companions  would 
have  no  intercourse  with  him.  He  was  shut  up 
in  the  brig,  and  as  fully  ignored  as  though  he  had 
been  dead  and  buried.  But  he  had  decided  not 
to  study  his  lessons,  and  he  could  not  give  up. 
He  spent  a  miserable  night  in  the  gloom  of  the 
dark  prison.  His  breakfast  was  brought  to  him 
in  the  morning,  but  it  was  the  same  as  his  dinner 
and  his  supper  the  day  before.  Without  a  word 
of  explanation,  he  was  conducted  back  to  his 
chamber,  and  locked  into  it.  The  book  he  had 
brought  from  the  schoolroom  was  there. 

All  he  had  to  do  in  order  to  end  his  term  of 
imprisonment,  was  to  learn  the  lesson  assigned  to 
him.  The  book  was  a  simple  treatise  on  natural 
philosophy.  He  was  not  required  to  commit  any 
thing  to  memory,  only  to  read  over  the  first  lialf- 
dozen  pages.     It  was  simply  a  question   of  will. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  193 

He  had  refused  even  to  look  into  the  book.  No 
one  came  near  him  during  the  forenoon,  and  he 
hardly  heard  a  sound.  His  slices  of  bread  and 
butter,  and  his  glass  of  water,  came  to  him  at 
noon. 

"  How  long  have  I  got  to  stand  this  thing  ? " 
asked  Tom,  in  a  tone  of  utter  disgust,  when  Bates 
put  his  dinner  on  the  table. 

The  old  man  made  no  reply  to  him,  and  would 
not  even  look  at  him.  He  would  not  come  again 
till  supper-time;  and  Tom  saw  that  he  must  back 
down  then,  or  there  would  be  no  chance  to  do  so 
before  night.  But  he  had  not  the  moral  courage 
to  say  he  would  learn  his  lesson.  When  the  door 
was  locked  upon  him,  he  picked  up  the  book ;  but, 
before  he  had  looked  into  it,  he  began  to  cry, 
though  he  was  a  great  fellow  of  fifteen.  It  took 
him  an  hour  to  get  over  this  feeling  of  depression, 
and  then  he  looked  into  the  book.  He  began  to 
read  the  lesson  which  had  been  assigned  to  him. 

It  was  simple  reading,  and  about  matters  within 
his  comprehension.  Before  he  realized  that  he 
was  actually  engaged  in  learning  the  lesson  as- 
signed to  him,  he  was  interested  in  the  subject. 
It  had  been  chosen  for  this  reason,  —  that  he  could 


194  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

hardly  help  enjoying  what  he  read.  He  found  a 
solace  m  the  book  during  the  afternoon ;  and,  when 
his  supper  was  brought  to  him,  he  informed  Bates 
that  he  had  learned  his  lesson.  The  old  man  did 
not  say  a  word,  even  to  hint  that  he  heard  him  ; 
but,  in  a  few  minutes,  ]Mr.  Darlingby  appeared. 
He  had  nothing  to  say  on  the  question  of  disci- 
pline, but  took  the  book  at  once,  and  proceeded 
to  examine  Tom  on  the  first  pages.  The  rebel- 
lious pupil  was  well  posted  in  every  tiling  he  had 
read,  and  had  studied  far  beyond  the  task  assigned 
to  him. 

All  the  instructor  did  when  he  had  finished  the 
recitation,  was  to  inform  him  that  he  was  at  lib- 
erty to  leave  his  room.  He  made  no  remarks,  did 
not  23reach  to  him,  or  even  point  a  moral  from  the 
events  of  his  imprisonment.  Toin  went  out  of 
the  room,  and  descended  the  stairs.  The  students 
were  just  coming  out  of  the  mansion  after  their 
supper,  and  they  were  hurrying  to  the  boathouse. 
Tom  showed  himself  among  them  ;  but  not  one  of 
them  manifested  any  surprise  at  seeing  him,  or 
said  a  word  to  him  about  his  conduct. 

All  this  was  very  strange.  He  hastened  to 
Kidd  Digfield  when  he  saw  him  coming,  and  was 


RTGGTNG   THE   BOAT.  195 

thinking  how  he  should  explain  to  liis  crony  the 
fact  that  he  had  given  in.  He  had  yielded,  and 
that  was  a  thing  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  doing ; 
and  he  felt  that  some  apology  was  necessary  to 
atone  for  his  wickedness. 

"  We  are  going  to  row  in  the  Gildrock,"  said 
Kidd,  as  soon  as  he  saw  his  defeated  chief. 
'*  There  is  a  place  for  you  in  the  boat,  Tom." 

"  All  right :  I  shouldn't  mind  taking  a  turn  at 
the  oars,"  replied  Tom,  as  they  were  joined  by 
Nim  and  Pell. 

"  You  are  No.  11,  next  to  the  stroke  oar,"  added 
Nim. 

"  I  am  No.  2,"  added  Pell,  as  if  he  was  simply 
recalling  the  locality  of  his  place  in  the  barge. 

Not  a  word  about  his  imprisonment,  not  a  hint 
in  relation  to  their  opinion  of  his  conduct.  Tom 
thought  it  was  very  strange.  He  was  allowed  to 
take  his  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  students,  and 
no  one  seemed  to  know  that  he  had  been  standing 
out  against  orders.  The  same  state  of  things  had 
bothered  delinquents  in  years  before,  and  they 
could  not  explain  it.  Others  could,  if  they  had 
been  disposed  to  do  so. 

The  principal  had  requested  all  the  pupils  not 


196  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

to  allude  to  any  matters  of  discipline  to  offenders. 
If  one  liad  been  punished,  they  were  not  to  talk 
about  the  matter,  and  not  to  inform  the  delin- 
quent that  they  even  knew  of  the  fact.  To  the 
reformed  Topovers,  it  seemed  more  like  a  good 
joke  on  Tom  not  to  notice  what  had  happened ; 
and  tliey  took  pleasure  in  complying  with  the 
principal's  request.  He  had  made  quite  a  speech 
in  regard  to  this  matter.  Tom's  vanity  had  no 
standing-room.  Nobody  seemed  to  care  whether 
he  had  been  punislied  or  not. 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  197 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

NAUTICAL    INSTRUCTION   ON   THE   WHARF. 

rriHE  first  two  weeks  of  the  term  were  devoted 
^  to  giving  the  new  students  a  proper  start  in 
their  studies,  and  in  the  work  of  the  shop.  At 
the  same  time  they  learned  to  pull  an  oar,  and  to 
handle  a  rowboat.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the 
crew  of  the  Winooski  could  pull  a  very  fair 
stroke,  and  were  tolerably  obedient  to  the  orders 
of  the  coxswain.  A  Whitehall  fellow  undertook 
to  have  his  own  wa}^  at  one  time,  and  the  boat 
went  to  the  shore  at  once.  In  five  minutes  more 
he  was  locked  up  in  his  room. 

The  next  day,  after  he  had  backed  dov/n,  and 
resumed  his  place  in  the  schoolroom,  he  took  his 
oar  again.  No  one  appeared  to  know  that  he  had 
disobeyed  orders;  no  one  said  anything;  he  re- 
ceived no  sympathy,  and  was  subjected  to  no  con- 
demnation, among  his  associates.     He  had  a  good 


198  ALL    TAUT  ;    OR, 

chance  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf  if  he  was  disposed 
to  do  so.  The  very  fact  that  he  was  ignored, 
proved  that  his  fellow-students  were  in  full 
sympathy  with  the  principal. 

The  students  were  simply  requested  to  ignore 
any  offender,  and  they  could  disregard  the  request 
if  they  were  desirous  of  doing  so.  If  there  was 
any  real  or  fancied  grievance  among  the  pupils, 
of  course  they  would  disregard  it ;  but  just  now 
all  was  serene,  and  even  the  bad  boys  were 
delighted  with  the  routine  of  the  institution. 
The  early  lessons  were  given  out  Avith  a  view  to 
interest  them.  In  the  shop,  they  were  set  to 
making  something,  —  a  box  at  first, — which  could 
not  help  amusing  them. 

On  the  first  Saturday  of  the  term  the  ship's 
company  of  the  Sylph  were  organized.  Dory 
Dornwood  was  captain  [igain ;  though  only  for 
the  first  month,  while  the  new  scholars  were 
broken  in.  It  w^as  understood  that  Oscar  Chester 
was  to  take  his  place  from  the  first  of  October. 
The  principal  offices  were  filled  by  tlie  old  stu- 
dents, who  were  qualified  to  instruct  their  subor- 
dinates. The  recruits  were  scattered  about:  sonu' 
were  firemen,  sonic  wvw  stewards,  and  most  of 
thcni  were  dcck-liands. 


RIGGING   THE    liOAT.  199 

The  day  was  devoted  to  exercising  the  students 
in  their  new  duties.  Of  course,  there  was  con- 
siderable friction  in  places,  but  not  so  much  as 
the  principal  had  expected.  As  long  as  the  boys 
tried  to  do  their  duty,  their  short-comings  and 
their  failures  were  overlooked.  If  one  refused 
to  obey  an  order,  he  was  shut  up  in  a  storeroom ; 
and  excellent  discipline  prevailed  on  the  second 
Saturday,  when  the  practice  was  repeated. 

On  the  following  Monday  afternoon,  all  hands 
were  ordered  to  the  boat-house  after  dinner,  in 
place  of  going  to  the  shops.  The  Lily,  which 
the  students  had  built  in  the  earlier  part  of  the 
year,  had  been  brought  alongside  of  the  wharf 
by  Bates  and  Mr.  Bristol.  The  work  of  rigging 
the  boat  was  to  be  begun  at  this  time.  On  the 
wharf  lay  the  two  masts  of  the  schooner,  which 
had  been  made  in  Burlington,  and  brought  down 
a  few  days  before.  There  were  several  other 
sticks  on  the  wharf,  whose  use  most  of  the  stu- 
dents did  not  understand.  Lying  on  the  top  of 
the  masts  were  a  great  number  of  small  pieces 
of  rope ;  and  old  Bates  was  as  busy  as  a  bee,  with 
a  lot  of  things  which  were  incomprehensible  to 
even  the  old  students. 


200  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

The  principal  was  the  instructor  on  the  present 
occasion  ;  for,  of  the  subjects  to  be  treated,  the 
other  teachers  were  as  ignorant  as  the  pupils. 
The  boys  were  requested  to  seat  themselves  on 
the  spars  and  timbers.  Captain  Gildrock  picked 
out  one  of  the  pieces  of  rope  about  three  feet  long, 
from  the  pile,  and  then  mounted  a  box  where 
he  could  be  seen  by  all  hands ;  and  several  of  the 
teachers  were  present. 

"The  next  business  in  order  is  to  rig  the  boat 
we  have  built,"  he  began.  "  It  is  not  a  very 
complicated  matter  to  rig  a  fore-and-aft  schooner." 

''What  does  that  mean?"  asked  Sax  Coburg, 
one  of  the  hard  fellows  from  Burlington,  though 
he  was  interested  in  rigging  the  boat. 

"  I  will  tell  you  in  a  moment,  when  I  have 
spoken  of  the  general  plan  of  proceeding  while 
we  are  rigging  the  boat,"  replied  the  principal, 
who  encouraged  the  pupils  in  asking  sensible 
questions.  "It  is  a  comparatively  simple  matter 
to  rig  a  schooner  ;  but,  in  connection  with  it,  I 
shall  endeavor  to  have  you  learn  something  of 
the  rig  of  other  kinds  of  vessels.  Those  of  you 
who  live  on  Lake  Champlain  never  see  any  sail- 
ing  craft   on    its   waters,   except   tjchooners   and 


RIGGINf;    TIIP]   BOAT.  201 

sloops.  Now,  ma}'  I  ask  some  student  to  tell  me 
what  a  ship  is,  as  he  understands  it  ?  " 

Most  of  the  boys  thought  they  knew  all  about 
it,  and  raised  their  hands  to  indicate  that  they 
wished  to  speak,  as  they  had  been  instructed  to 
do. 

"Bark  Duxbury,"  said  the  principal,  calling 
upon  one  of  the  old  boys  of  the  school. 

"  A  vessel  with  three  masts,"  replied  the  stu- 
dent called. 

"  Is  that  the  entire  definition  ?  " 

"  It  is  all  the  definition  I  know,"  replied  Bark. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Leo  Pownall  ?  " 

"  A  vessel  with  three  masts  and  square-rigged," 
answered  Leo. 

"  What's  square  -  rigged  ?  "  interposed  Jack 
Dumper. 

"  Raise  your  hand  if  you  wish  to  ask  a  ques- 
tion ;  but  no  question  should  be  put  in  the  midst 
of  one  subject,  which  relates  to  another,  till  a  fit 
time  comes  to  do  so,"  said  the  principal.  ''Leo 
Pownall  is  nearer  right  than  Bark  was,  but  the 
definition  is  not  accurate.  I  dare  say  you  could 
all  give  an  opinion,  and  I  should  like  to  hear  you 
all  on  the  subject  if  I  had  more  time.     A  ship  is 


202  ALL  TAUT  :  OR, 

a  vessel  with  three  masts,  square-rigged  on  the 
fore,  main,  and  mizzen  masts.  You  cannot  cor- 
rectly define  a  ship  in  less  words." 

At  this  point  Jack  Dumper  raised  his  hand 
again,  and  the  principal  indicated  that  he  would 
hear  him.  He  said  he  did  not  know  what  a  ship 
was,  for  the  reason  that  he  did  not  know  what 
square-rigged  meant.  This  time  Captain  Gild- 
rock  approved  the  question,  and  nodded  to  Mr. 
Jepson,  who  planted  a  large  easel  on  a  box  near 
the  one  on  which  the  principal  stood.  He  placed 
on  it  a  great  pile  of  large  papers ;  and,  of  course, 
the  attention  of  the  pupils  was  strongly  attracted 
to  what  was  coming. 

"  The  eye  must  help  the  ear  in  this  lesson," 
said  the  principal,  as  he  turned  over  the  paper  on 
tlie  top  of  the  pile.  It  was  a  picture  of  a  ship 
under  full  sail.  "  This  is  a  full-rigged  ship,"  said 
he. 

When  the  students  had  looked  at  it  a  minute 
or  two,  he  selected  another  paper,  and  placed  it 
on  the  easel  so  that  it  could  be  seen  by  all. 

"  This  is  a  fore-and-aft  schooner.  What  differ- 
ence do  you  notice  between  the  two  vessels  ?  "  he 
asked. 


KIGGING    THE   BOAT.  208 

''  The  ship  is  square-rigged,  and  the  scliooner 
is  not,"  replied  Fred  Grafton,  when  the  captain 
pointed  to  him. 

''Right:  one  has  yards,  and  the  other  has  not;" 
and  half  a  dozen  hands  were  raised,  before  the 
words  were  fairly  out  of  his  mouth.  ''  What 
are  yards  ?  is  the  question  you  wish  to  ask,"  con- 
tinued the  principal,  as  he  exhibited  the  picture 
of  the  ship  again.  "  The  sticks  across  the  masts 
are  yards ;  and  tJie  sails  are  hung  down  from 
them,  like  the  banner  of  the  engine-company  on 
parade.  A  schooner  of  this  kind,''  added  the 
principal,  as  he  presented  the  schooner  again, 
"  has  no  yards  on  her  masts." 

''  I  see  it ! "  exclaimed  Jack  Dumper,  with 
enthusiam. 

"  I  am  glad  you  do ;  but  you  need  not  take  the 
trouble  to  mention  it,"  added  Captain  Gildrock, 
with  a  smile.  "  Now,  your  eye  has  taught  you  the 
difference  between  a  full-rigged  ship  and  a  fore-and- 
aft  schooner.  One  has  yards,  and  the  other  has  no 
yards.     Here  is  another  vessel  with  three  masts." 

The  picture  was  displayed  on  the  easel,  and  a 
few  of  the  boys  put  up  their  hands  to  indicate 
that  they  knew  what  to  call  her. 


204  ALL    TAUT  ;    OR, 

"  Wliat  is  it,  Piiikler  ?  " 

"A  bark." 

''  Why  a  bark  ?  " 

"  Because  she  is  not  square-rigged  on  her  hind- 
mast,"  replied  Archie  Pinkler. 

"  Hind-mast  is  rather  rough  to  a  nautical  ear," 
said  the  principal,  "  but  you  are  right.  Fore,  main, 
and  mizzen  mast  are  the  proper  names ;  and  you  had 
better  begin  now  to  use  these  terms.  I  heard  a 
young  lady  singing  the  other  day,  '  My  bark  is  on 
the  wave  ! '     Did  she  mean  this  kind  of  a  vessel  ?  " 

Some  of  the  older  students  lauHied,  and  some 
were  puzzled.  The  question  looked  as  though 
there  was  a  catch  under  it,  and  they  were  shy 
about  answering  it. 

"We  read  in  the  Good  Book,  about  those  'who 
go  down  to  the  sea  in  ships.'  Does  it  mean 
square-rigged  on  the  fore,  main,  and  mizzen 
masts  ?  We  find  in  the  New  Testament  frequent 
allusions  to  the  ships  on  the  Lake  of  Galilee. 
Were  these  square-rigged  vessels?" 

"They  were  nothing  but  boats,"  replied  Tucker 
Prince,  when  his  name  was  called.  "The  word 
ship  and  l)ark  are  used,  in  a  general  sense,  to 
mean  any  kind  of  a  vessel." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  205 

''That  is  eiitirely  correct,  Prince. —  How 
many  fingers  have  you,  Kidder  Digfield  ?  "  asked 
the  principal. 

"  Eight,  sir,"  replied  the  ex-Topover,  with  a  grin. 

"  I  have  ten,  and  I  am  apparently  more  fortu- 
nate than  you  are ;  but  I  use  the  word  fingers  in 
a  general  sense.  When  you  come  down  to  particu- 
lars, you  say,  very  properly,  that  you  have  eight 
fingers." 

''  I  don't  think  thumbs  are  fingers,"  added 
Kidd,  when  the  principal  nodded  to  him. 

"All  right:  you  have  a  perfect  right  to  your 
own  opinion.     How  many  toes  have  you?" 

"  Ten." 

"But  two  of  them  are  big  toes.  Why  not 
say  that  you  have  eight  toes  and  two  big  toes  ?  " 
added  the  captain.  "  Now  you  know  what  a 
ship  is,  and  that  the  word  is  used,  in  a  general 
sense,  to  mean  any  kind  of  vessel.  We  speak  of 
the  ship's  company,  in  general  terms,  on  board 
of  a  craft  of  any  size.  The  ocean  and  coast 
steamers  are  called  ships,  and  some  of  the 
former  have  four  masts.  A  few  sailing-ships, 
like  the  Great  Republic,  have  been  rigged  with 
four  masts. 


206  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

"  Wliat  do  they  call  the  after-mast  when  there 
are  four?  "  asked  Dick  Short. 

"  The  usage  differs  somewhat :  some  call  it  the 
jigger-mast,  and  those  of  more  dignity  call  it  tlie 
after-mizzen-mast.  In  a  vessel  with  two  masts, 
tlie  terms  are  main  and  mizzen  mast.  I  have 
shown  you  a  sliip  and  a  bark;  what  is  this?" 
asked  the  captain,  as  he  displayed  another  picture. 

''  A  brig,"  replied  Con  Bunker ;  though  none 
spoke  unless  they  were  called  upon. 

''  Right ;  and  what  is  a  brig,  properly  defined?" 

"  A  vessel  with  two  masts,  square-rigged  on 
both,"  replied  Hop  Cabright. 

"  What  is  this  ? "  and  tlie  principal  showed 
another  drawing. 

Such  a  craft  had  never  been  seen  on  the  lake ; 
and  only  Matt  Randolph,  and  a  few  others  from 
New  York  and  Boston,  could  answer. 

"It  is  a  three-masted  schooner,"  answered 
Tucker  Prince.  "  Her  masts  have  tlie  same 
names  as  those  of  a  ship." 

"And  she  is  a  fore-and-after,"  added  Captain 
Gildrock. 

The  next  picture  was  a  puzzle  to  all  except 
Matt  I'vandolph. 


RIGGING   THE  BOAT.  207 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE   DIFFERENT   RIGS   OF   VESSELS. 

"  TTTELL,  Randolph,  you  seem  to  be  the  only 
one  who  can  give  the  name  of  a  vessel 
with  this  rig,''  said  Captain  Gildrock,  calling  upon 
the  New-Yorker. 

"She  is  a  barkentine,"  replied  Matt.  "The  rig 
is'  new,  and  the  name  has  not  yet  got  into  the 
dictionary." 

"  And  I  hope  it  will  not  get  there  as  you  pro- 
nounce it,  and  as  the  newspapers  usually  spell  it," 
added  the  principal.  "  The  word  '  brigantine  '  is 
spelled  with  an  a ;  and  there  is  no  reason  why  it 
should  not  be  a  barkantine,  rather  than  a  bark- 
entine." 

"  But  '  bark '  was  formerly  '  barque,'  suggested 
Matt. 

"If  she  were  a  barquentine,  that  would  be 
another    thing.     Some    people    still    insist    upon 


208  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

writing  a  bank  '  cheque ; '  but  tliere  are  a  score 
of  words  that  might  as  well  be  spelled  the  same 
way,  if  the  fashion  had  not  changed.  —  I  suppose 
you  have  seen  four-masted  schooners,  ^latt?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  a  few  of  them  ;  though  they  are  not 
very  common,"  replied  the  New-Yorker. 

"  Many  of  these  three-masted  schooners  are  three 
times  as  big  as  a  full-rigged  ship  used  to  be  in  old 
times ;  and  I  mean  within  my  recollection.  They 
were  first  used  as  coalers,  vessels  which  had  to 
work  up  Delaware  Bay  and  Eiver ;  and  these 
schooners  could  be  kept  closer  to  the  wind  in 
beating.  —  What  is  this  ?  ''  asked  tlie  captain,  as 
he  changed  the  picture. 

"  A  brigantine,"  replied  Lon  Dorset  when 
called. 

"I  think  not,"  added  the  princi})al. 

"  I  have  heard  of  a  vessel  like  that,  rigged  like 
a  ship  forward,  and  like  a  schooner  aft,  called  a 
brigantine,"  persisted  Lon. 

"So  have  I;  but  this  is  an  hermaphrodite  brig, 
though  she  is  sometimes  called  a  brig  simply,  for 
short,"  added  Captain  Gildrock. 

"  What  is  a  brigantine,  tlien  ?  "  asked  Lon. 

"It  is  a  rig  you  seldom,  if  ever,  see  in  a  sailing 


RIGGING   THE  BOAT.  209 

vessel  in  these  days ;  though  it  is  sometimes  ap- 
plied to  steamers." 

"It  is  called  a  small  brig,  in  the  dictionary," 
said  Lon. 

"  Some  of  the  dictionaries  are  not  correct  on 
nautical  matters.  I  should  say  that  a  brigantine 
was  a  fore-and-main-topsail  schooner;  that  is,  a 
vessel  with  two  masts,  fore  and  aft  sails  below, 
and  with  a  topsail  and  topgallant-sail  on  each 
mast.  A  full-rigged  vessel  carries  a  royal  above 
these,  and  may  have  a  skysail  also." 

"What  is  a  moon-raker?"  asked  Thad  Glov- 
ering  with  a  laugh. 

"  That  is  a  fancy  sail,  a  term  applied  to  a  sail 
set  above  the  skysail.  There  is  another  distinc- 
tion between  a  full-rigged  mast  and  that  of  a 
schooner.  The  former  is  provided  with  a  top, 
which  is  wanting  in  the  latter.  A  brig  has  a  top 
on  each  mast,  while  a  schooner  or  a  brigantine  has 
none.  A  top  is  a  kind  of  platform,  on  which  sev- 
eral men  may  stand,  in  large  vessels,  over  which 
the  futtock  shrouds  pass,"  continued  the  princi- 
pal, as  he  pointed  it  out  on  the  foremast  of  the 
vessel  in  the  picture. —  "What  is  this?"  he 
asked,  diplaying  another  drawing. 


210  ALL   TAUT  ;   OTJ, 

"A  topsail  schooner,"  answered  Bent  Fillwing. 

"  She  is  sometimes  called  a  fore-topsail  schooner, 
but  the  expression  is  redundant,  since  there  is  no 
such  craft  as  a  main-topsail  schooner.  She  carries 
a  topsail  and  topgallant-sail  on  her  foremast." 

"  She  would  be  a  brigantine  if  she  had  the  same 
rig  on  her  mainmast,  without  any  tops,"  added 
Matt  Randolph. 

"  There  is  only  one  other  craft  which  we  shall 
notice,"  continued  the  principal,  changing  the 
drawing.     "What  is  it?" 

"A  sloop,"  replied  Nat  Long.  "We  have 
plenty  of  them  on  Lake  Champlain." 

"This  is  the  simplest  rig  of  all.  But  sloops, 
especially  in  yachts,  vary  a  great  deal.  This  is 
the  rig  of  the  English  cutter,  in  the  main  ;  though 
some  of  them  have  a  couple  of  yards  on  the  mast, 
as  you  never  see  it  in  an  ordinary  sloop.  As  I 
have  said  before,  there  are  many  variations  in  all 
these  rigs.  Some  vessels  are  provided  with  sails 
which  others  of  the  same  rig  do  not  have.  The 
fashions  change  also.  A  ship  now  is  quite  a  dif- 
ferent thing  from  what  it  was  forty  years  ago.  The 
study  is  to  work  a  vessel  with  the  fewest  men  that 
can   handk'   her ;    for,   the    less    the    number,   the 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  211 

smaller  the  expense,  and  the  more  profitable  the 
the  vessel  is  to  her  owners. 

"  For  example,  mercantile  ships,  as  distinguished 
from  naval  vessels,  have  a  different  rig  from  what 
they  had  twenty-five  years  ago.  Instead  of  one 
large  topsail,  they  have  two  sails,  called  the  upper 
and  lower  topsails,  with  an  extra  yard.  It  saves 
handling  the  larger  sail,  and  avoids  much  of  the 
difficult  and  dangerous  work  of  reefing  in  heavy 
weather.  But  you  do  not  see  this  rig  in  the  navy. 
Men-of-war  are  always  heavily  manned,  and  they 
have  force  enough  to  handle  any  sail.  Now  we 
will  turn  to  the  business  of  rigging  this  schooner. 
It  is  better  for  you  to  learn  the  names  and  the 
uses  of  things  as  you  proceed  with  the  work, 
rather  than  attempt  to  get  at  them  in  a  lesson. 

"  Nautical  terms  look  very  formidable  to  shore- 
people  ;  and  so  they  are,  in  fact,  though  not  so 
much  so  as  people  generally  imagine.  There  is 
a  certain  system  about  naming  the  various  spars 
and  pieces  of  rigging,  which  simplifies  the  whole 
subject.  In  a  ship,  the  three  words  'fore,'  'main,' 
and  '  mizzen '  distinguish  the  fore  and  aft  position 
of  every  thing.  For  the  elevation  we  have  the 
word  simply ;  then  with  the  addition  of  top,  top- 


212  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

gallant,  and  royal,  we  fix  the  position  above  the 
deck." 

"  To  indicate  the  side  to  which  a  part  belongs, 
we  say  weather  and  lee  if  the  vessel  is  under 
way,  or  starboard  and  port  if  she  is  at  rest.  The 
weather- maintop -gallantbrace  covers  the  whole 
matter.  If  you  know  what  a  brace  is,  you  can 
describe  any  similar  piece  of  rigging  in  the  ship. 
To-morrow  afternoon,  wiien  some  drawings  I  am 
having  made  are  done,  I  shall  explain  the  rigging 
of  a  ship. 

''  I  might  talk  all  the  afternoon  about  the  rig- 
ging of  even  a  fore-and-aft  schooner,  but  I  am 
afraid  it  would  only  perplex  you.  There  are  at 
least  thirty  different  kinds  of  blocks,  each  Avith 
its  proper  name,  indicating  its  position  or  use. 

"  What  is  a  block  ?  "  asked  Sax  Coburg. 

"  It  is  a  kind  of  pulley,"  replied  the  principal, 
picking  one  up  from  the  pile  on  the  wharf.  ''  It 
consists  of  a  shell,  which  is  the  wooden  frame, 
the  sheave  or  wheel,  the  pin,  or  axis  on  which 
the  wheel  turns,  and  the  strap,  which  is  the  rope 
or  iron  by  which  it  is  secured  to  some  other  body. 
The  sides  of  a  shell,  which  usually  round  out- 
ward, are  called  the  cheeks.     That's  all  we  need 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  213 

say  about  blocks  till  we  come  to  use  tliem  in 
setting  up  the  rigging." 

"  The  two  round  sticks,  squared  at  the  top, 
are  the  masts.     Are  they  of  the  same  length?" 

"These  seem  to  be,"  replied  Luke  Bennington, 
"  but  the  mainmast  is  generally  longer  than  the 
foremast." 

"  These  are  of  the  same  length.  This  after- 
noon we  will  put  them  in  their  j)laces.  The 
first  thing  to  do  is  to  rig  the  shears.  Do  you 
know  what  they  are  ?  " 

"  Something  to  cut  with  —  a  pair  of  scissors," 
replied  a  shore-boy. 

"Not  exactly,  though  it  is  rigged  something 
like  a  pair  of  shears.  It  is  a  kind  of  derrick, 
used  for  hoisting  heavy  weights." 

Bates  had  been  at  work  for  some  time  on  a 
couple'  of  the  long  round  sticks  on  the  wharf, 
and  had  lashed  them  together  at  a  point  about 
three  feet  from  the  smaller  ends.  The  students 
were  required  to  carry  this  machine  to  the  deck 
of  the  Lily  ;  and,  after  guy-lines  had  been  attached 
to  it,  it  was  raised  in  the  forward  part  of  the 
deck.  A  purchase-block  had  been  attached  to 
the  lashing,  and  a  single  block  to  one  of  the  arms 
of  the  shears  above. 


214  ALL   TAUT;   OH, 

A  noose  was  then  slipped  on  the  mast  just 
above  the  centre  of  gravity,  to  which  the  pur- 
chase-block was  hooked.  A  couple  of  lines  were 
fastened  to  the  top  of  the  spar,  so  that  it-  could 
be  swayed  in  any  direction  desired. 

"  Now  we  need  a  snatch-block,"  said  the  prin- 
cipal ;  and  Bates  immediately  brought  one  from 
the  pile  on  the  wharf.     "  What  is  a  block  for?  " 

"  To  increase  the  effect  of  the  power  applied," 
answered  Leo  Pownall,  who  had  been  called 
upon  as  one  who  would  be  likely  to  know. 

"  Is  that  so  ? "  asked  the  principal,  looking 
around  among  the  students. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  one  indicated.  "  The  power 
is  gained  only  with  movable  blocks." 

"  It  takes  ten  pounds  to  balance  the  same 
weight  by  a  line  passed  over  a  single  fixed  pulley, 
or  through  a  block,"  conthiued  the  principal. 
''  You  gain  nothing  except  at  the  expense  of 
time.  If  you  pull  one  rope  down  a  foot,  the 
other  is  raised  only  a  foot.  With  a  movable 
pulley,  you  have  to  pull  down  two  feet  to  raise 
the  weight  one  foot.  With  one  pound  of  power, 
you  raise  two  pounds  of  weight.  Now,  if  there 
arc  two  pounds  of  weight,  and  you  exert  oidy  one 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  215 

pound  of  power,  Avhat  becomes  of  the  other 
pound?" 

"It  is  supported  by  the  fixed  end  of  the  line." 

"In  the  purchase-block  attached  to  the  mast, 
we  must  exert  a  power  equal  to  one-half  of  the 
weight  of  the  mast,  the  other  half  being  supported 
by  the  shears.  Bates  has  made  fast  the  snatch- 
block  in  the  deck,  but  we  gain  nothing  in  power 
by  its  use.     What  is  it  for  then  ?  " 

A  dozen  hands  were  raised,  but  most  of  the 
boys  were  studying  the  problem.  The  principal 
waited  until  one  of  these  appeared  to  have  made 
up  his  mind. 

"  Without  the  snatch-block  we  could  only  pull 
on  the  up-and-down  rope,  and  not  more  than 
three  or  four  of  us  could  get  hold  of  it  for  the 
want  of  room  to  stand  near  it,"  replied  the  stu- 
dent indicated. 

"  That's  the  idea  exactly,"  replied  the  principal. 

"  Forty  of  us  could  get  hold  of  the  rope  while 
it  is  run  out  from  the  snatch-block,  parallel  with 
the  deck,"  added  the  thoughtful  boy. 

"  Precisely  so ;  well  answered.  Then  the 
snatch-block  only  enables  us  to  change  the  direc- 
tion  in    which   the   power   may   be    applied.     In 


216  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

unloading  vessels,  they  often  use  a  horse  to  hoist 
the  cargo.  The  animal  could  not  pull  straight 
down  on  the  rope,  but  the  snatch-block  enables 
him  to  draw  the  rope  parallel  with  the  top  of 
the  wharf.  I  think  }'0u  Avill  remember  what  a 
snatch-block  is,  and  what  it  is  for.  Now  man 
the  line." 

The  students  took  hold  of  the  line,  and  walked 
away  with  it.  The  mast  rose  in  the  air,  and 
hands  were  then  placed  at  the  guy-lines  to  keep 
it  in  place.  When  the  lower  end  of  the  mast 
was  above  the  deck,  Bates  took  the  girt-line 
attached  to  the  shear-head,  and  drew  the  mast 
into  position.  Two  of  the  students  were  sent 
into  the  hold  to  direct  the  tenon  into  its  step, 
which  is  the  mortice  above  the  keelson. 

The  mast  was  lowered  slowly  into  its  place, 
the  square  tenon  adjusting  itself  in  its  place  as 
it  belonged,  so  that  there  was  nothing  more  to 
be  done,  except  to  wedge  it  in  at  the  mast-hold 
in  the  deck. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  217 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   SPARS,   SAILS,    AND   RIGGING   OF   A   SHIP. 

"OEFORE  night  the  two  masts  of  the  Lily 
were  in  their  places,  and  wedged  up  so  that 
they  would  stand  alone.  After  supper  there  was 
another  lesson  in  rowing  given  to  the  new  schol- 
ars, and  they  crossed  the  lake  for  the  first  time. 

After  the  recitations  the  next  day,  the  students 
were  called  to  the  schoolroom  after  dinner;  and 
they  found  on  the  wall  several  nautical  drawings. 
The  first  was  a  full-rigged  ship,  "  The  Queen  of 
the  West,"  a  large  merchant-vessel.  It  was  drawn 
in  outline,  and  was  so  plain  that  all  its  parts  could 
be  easily  seen.  The  principal  stepped  upon  the 
platform  in  front  of  this  drawing,  with  the  pointer 
in  his  hand. 

"  I  am  going  to  give  you  a  general  idea  of  the 
rigging  of  a  ship,"  said  he,  when  the  attention  of 
the  school  was  directed  to  him.     "To  obtain  all 


A    FULL-RIGGED    SHIP 


1.  Bowsprit. 

41. 

2.  Jil)-l)Oom. 

42. 

3.  Flying  Jib-boom. 

43. 

4.  Flying  Jib. 

5.  Jib. 

44. 

6.  Fore-topmast-stays. 

45. 

7.  Fore-stays. 

46. 

8.  Jib  Martingales. 

47. 

9.  Flying-jib  JNIartingales. 

48. 

10.  Martingale. 

49. 

11.  Foremast. 

50. 

12.  Fore  Yard  and  Sail. 

51. 

13.  Fore-topmast. 

52. 

14.  Fore-topsail  Yard  and  Sail. 

53. 

15.  Fore-topgallant-mast. 

54. 

16.  Fore -topgallant   Yard   and 

55. 

Sail. 

56. 

17.  Fore-royal-mast. 

57. 

18.  Fore-royal  Yard  and  Sail. 

58. 

19.  Fore-lift. 

59. 

20.  Fore-braces. 

60. 

21.  Fore-topsail-braces. 

61. 

22.  Fore-topgallant-braces. 

62. 

23.  Fore-royal-braces. 

63. 

24.  Fore-topgallant-stay. 

64. 

25.  Main-skysail-stay. 

65. 

2G.  INIain-royal-stay. 

27.  Main-topgallant-stay. 

66. 

28.  Main-topmast-stays. 

29.  Main-stays. 

67. 

30.  Fore-spencer-gaff. 

68. 

31.  Fore-topmast-backstays. 

69. 

32.  Fore-topgallant-backstays. 

70. 

33.  Fore-royalmast-backstays. 

71. 

34.  Fore-rigging. 

72. 

35.  Fore-topmast-rigging. 

73. 

36.  Fore-topgallant-rigging. 

74. 

37.  Bobstays. 

75. 

38,  Bowsprit  Shrouds. 

76. 

39.  Slings  Foreyard. 

77. 

40.  Fore-skysail-stay. 

78. 

Main  Yard  and  Sail. 
Main-topsail  Yard  and  Sail. 
Main-topgallant    Yard    and 
Sail. 

Main-royal  Yard  and  Sail. 

Main-skysail-mast. 

Burgee,  or  Private  Signal. 

Main-royal-mast. 

Main-royal-brace. 

Main-topgallant-mast. 

Main-topgallant-brace. 

Main-topmast. 

Main-topsai  1-brace. 

Main-lifts. 

Main-brace. 

Main-rigging. 

Main-topmast-backstays. 

Main-topgallant-backstays. 

Main-royal-backstays. 

Main-spencer-gaff. 

Mizzen-stay. 

Mizen-topmast-stay. 

Mizzen-topgallaut-braces. 

Mizzen-royal-stay. 

Mizzen  Y'ard  and  Sail. 

Mizzen-topsail     Yard     and 
Sail. 

Mizzen-topgallant  Yard  and 
Sail. 

Mizzen-royal  and  Sail. 

Mizzen-skysail-mast. 

Mizzen-royal-mast. 

Mizzen-topgallant-mast. 
,  Mizzen-topsail. 
,  Mizzen-lifts. 
,  Mizzen-topsail-braces. 
,  Mizzen-topgallant-stay. 
,  Spanker-gaff'. 
,  Spanker-boom. 
,  Spanker-sheets. 
.  American  Ensign. 
219 


220  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

the  details,  nothing  but  practice  will  suffice.  Only 
a  small  portion  of  the  rigging  of  a  ship  is  deline- 
ated in  this  drawing.  A  sailor  has  to  be  so 
familiar  with  every  part,  that  he  can  find  any  rope 
in  the  darkest  night,  when  he  cannot  see  his  hand 
before  him. 

"  You  have  already  learned  the  names  of  the 
three  masts,  and  you  can  recognize  them  at  a 
glance.  The  bowsprit  was  built  into  the  Lily, 
and  3^ou  know  it  in  this  ship  (1)." 

*'  But  there  are  three  sticks  in  the  bowsprit  of 
this  ship,  when  the  Lily  has  only  one,"  suggested 
Benton  Fillwing. 

"  We  could  add  two  more  to  the  Lily  if  it 
were  advisable.  If  w^e  added  one,  it  would  be 
the  jib-boom  (2),  wliich  is  the  middle  piece  in  the 
picture.  The  third  spar  is  the  flying  jib-boom  (3). 
The  vertical  piece  of  wood  on  the  end  of  the  bow- 
sprit, through  which  the  jib-boom  passes,  is  called 
the  cap.  The  stick  which  points  down  from  the 
cap  (10)  is  the  martingale,  or  dolphin-striker." 

"  The  sails  on  the  bowsprit  are  tlie  jibs,  are 
they  not?"  asked  a  student  who  wanted  to  make 
a  point. 

"There   arc   two  of  them;   but  we  will  let  the 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  221 

sails  rest  until  we  have  disposed  of  the  spars," 
replied  the  principal.  "Now  we  will  return  to 
the  masts.  You  perceive  that  there  are  three  of 
them ;  but  they  are  not  always  separate  sticks, 
the  two  upper  ones  generally  being  in  one  piece. 
The  three  lower  ones  are  called  simply  the  masts, 
and  sometimes  the  lower  masts  when  it  is  neces- 
sary to  distinguish  them  more  particularly.  The 
three  names  I  have  given  you  —  fore,  main,  and 
mizzen  —  are  applied  to  them,  as  to  all  the  other 
masts  above  them. 

''The  next  mast  above  is  the  topmast  (13); 
then  comes  the  topgallant-mast  (15) ;  above 
wdiich  is  the  royal-mast  (17).  The  mast  above 
this  is  the  sky  sail-mast  (45),  when  there  is  one. 
Now  I  shall  point  to  the  different  masts,  and  you 
will  give  me  the  names  of  them,"  continued  Cap- 
tain Gildrock,  as  he  placed  his  pointer  on  one  of 
them. 

"Main-topmast,"  promptly  replied  the  scholar 
indicated  (51). 

The  principal  moved  his  pointer. 

"  Mizzen-royal-mast "  (69). 

Another  was  pointed  out. 

"Fore-topmast"  (13). 


222  ALL  TAUT  ;   OR, 

The  principal  coiitiiuied  tins  exercise  some  time 
longer,  until  every  student  could  name  any  mast 
of  the  fifteen  in  the  picture.  They  were  willing, 
then,  to  agree  with  the  principal,  that  the  system 
removed  all  complications  and  difficulty  ;  and  some 
of  them  were  quite  proud  to  know  so  mucli  about 
a  ship. 

'^  There  are  a  few  other  spars  to  be  remem- 
bered,'' continued  the  captain,  as  he  fixed  his 
pointer  again.  "  This  is  the  aftermost  sail  of  the 
ship ;  and  it  is  called  the  spanker,  though  it  occu- 
pies the  place  of  the  mainsail  in  a  schooner  or 
sloop.  The  stick  at  the  bottom  of  it  is  the  spanker- 
boom  (76)  ;  the  one  at  the  top  of  it  is  the  spanker- 
gaff  (75)  .  There  is  also  a  gaff  on  the  mainmast 
(69),  and  another  on  the  foremast  (30),  called 
spencer-gaffs,  with  the  keywords  '  fore '  and 
'main.' 

"  At  the  point  where  the  lower  masts  join  witli 
the  topmasts  are  tops,  to  the  outer  edges  of  which 
the  topmast  rigging  is  set  up.  At  the  head  of  the 
topmasts  are  the  cross-ti-ees,  to  which  the  top- 
gallant rigging  is  secured.  The  round  piece  of 
wood  at  the  tip  of  each  royal  or  skysail  mast  is 
the  truck,  in  which  holes  are  made  for  the  passage 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  228 

of  signal  halyards,  used  in  hoisting  the  burgee 
or  other  signal-flags." 

The  principal  proceeded  to  review  the  students 
by  pointing  out  the  spars  explained.  There  was 
hardly  one  of  them  ^^'ho  made  a  mistake,  for  they 
had  all  got  hold  of  the  system. 

"  Now  we  will  examine  some  of  the  rigging 
of  this  ship.  The  same  principle  is  applied  to 
the  ropes  as  to  the  spars,"  continued  the  princi- 
pal, pointing  to  the  fore-rigging  of  the  vessel. 
"  Here  are  six  very  large  ropes  leading  from  the 
top  down  to  the  side  of  the  ship.  In  detail, 
these  are  the  shrouds ;  but  the  whole  is  called  the 
fore-rigging,  which  may  be  designated  by  its  side 
also,  as  the  starboard  or  the  weather  fore-rigging 
(34).  Across  these  ropes  are  drawn  smaller 
ones,  which  land-people  call  rope  ladders,  but 
which  sailors  call  ratlines.  But  they  don't  say 
they  go  up  the  ratlines,  any  more  than  that 
they  go  up  the  rope  ladders.  They  ascend 
the  fore-rigging.  You  see  a  couple  of  round 
things  at  the  lower  end  of  each  rope.  They  are 
dead-eyes  ;  each  having  three  holes  in  it  by  which 
the  shroud  is  hauled  taut,  or  tightened  when  it 
gets   loose.      Under   these    are    broad    pieces    of 


224  ALL   TAUT  :   oi;, 

plank,  bolted  edgewise  to  the  side  of  the  ship, 
to  sway  out  the  shrouds.  The  lower  dead-eyes 
are  attached  to  iron  bands,  running  down  to  the 
side,  and  bolted  through  the  timbers,  called 
chains.  The  planks,  or  platforms,  are  channels. 
The  men  who  sound  are  sent  out  on  the  chan- 
nels, and  are  said  to  stand  in  the  chains. 

"  The-  three  shrouds  extending  from  the  tops 
to  the  cross-trees  are  the  topmast  rigging,  with 
the  keyword  before  it  (35).  Above,  you  have 
the  topgallant  rigging.  Behind  each  mast  are 
ropes  leading  down  to  the  channels,  all  of  which 
are  called  backstays,  as  the  fore-topmast-back- 
stay (31),  the  topgallant-backstay,  (32).  Of 
course,  these  stays  may  have  the  name  of  the 
side,  weather  or  lee,  port  or  starboard.  • 

"  Beginning  at  the  bowsprit,  you  see  a  multi- 
tude of  ropes  leading  to  the  foremast,  and  from 
one  mast  to  another.  These  are  all  called  by 
the  general  name  of  stays.  The  lower  one  on 
the  bowsprit  (7)  is  the  forestay,  and  leads 
to  the  top  of  the  foremast.  The  next  one  goes 
to  the  fore-topmast-head,  and  is  therefore  called 
the  fore-topmast-stay  (6).  The  next  two,  on 
which  the  jibs  run,  are  simply  jibstays.      From 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  225 

near  the  end  of  the  flying  jib-boom  are  the  fore- 
top-gallant-stay  (24),  and  the  fore-royal-stay, 
(40). 

"  The  stays  between  the  masts  take  the  names 
of  spars  fro7n  which  they  lead  forward.  The 
mainstay  (29)  comes  from  the  head  of  the  main- 
mast. There  are  a  great  many  of  these  ropes; 
but,  by  observing  the  rule,  you  can  readily  call 
them  by  name." 

The  principal  used  his  pointer  for  a  time,  in 
testing  the  knowledge  of  the  students ;  and  only 
through  carelessness  could  they  make  any  mistake. 

"  Now  we  come  to  the  sails,  but  I  think  you 
must  already  know  them  by  applying  what  you 
have  learned.  Only  two  jibs  are  set  in  this 
drawing,  the  jib  (5)  and  the  flying  jib  (4). 
There  is  one  furled,  which  runs  on  the  fore-top- 
mast-stay (6),  which  is  the  same  as  the  jib  in 
shape,  and  is  called  the  fore-topmast-staysail. 
Outside  of  these  three  head-sails,  —  a  fourth 
called  the  outer  jib,  and  even  a  fifth  the  jib  o'  jib, 
—  these  names  are  differently  used. 

"  The  three  lower  square-sails  are  called  from 
the  names  of  the  mast,  the  fore,  main,  and  miz- 
zen  sails.      Together,  the}^  are  called  the  courses ; 


226  ALL   TAUT  ;   on, 

and  sometimes  any  one  of  them  may  be  called 
the  fore-course  or  the  main-course,  but  not  often. 
Formerly,  and  now  among  old  sailors,  the  lower 
yard  of  the  mizzen-mast  did  not  follow  the  sys- 
tem, but  was  called  the  cross-jack-yard,  and  they 
pronounced  it  crogic.  No  sail  was  bent  to  this 
yard  in  old  times.  —  Now,  what  is  this?"  asked 
the  captain,  pointing  to  the  next  sail  on  the  fore- 
mast. 

"The  fore-topsail"  (14). 

"This?" 

"The  main-topgallant-sail  (43),"  replied  Matt 
Randolph,  clipping  the  words  in  sailor  fashion. 

The  captain  pointed  again. 

"The  mizzen-royal  "  (67). 

This  exercise  was  continued  until  the  students 
were  entirely  at  home  with  the  sails.  Then  the 
principal  pointed  to  the  end  of  the  spanker-gaff. 

"  This  corner  of  the  spanker  is  called  the  peak, 
as  it  is  in  any  fore-and-aft  square-sail.  The  flag 
is  called  the  ensign,  and  the  lines  by  which  it 
is  set  are  the  signal  halyards.  The  rope  with  a 
block  in  the  middle  of  it  is  the  weather-spanker 
vang,  the  lee-vang  is  on  the  other  side,  and  they 
are  used  to  hold  the  gaff  in  place.     You  observe 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  227 

a  rope  leading  from  the  iiiizzen-cross-trccs  to  the 
spanker-gaff,  and  from  that  to  the  mizzen-mast- 
head,  and  back  and  forth  again.  This  is  tlie 
spanker-halyards,  by  whicli  this  sail  is  hoisted. 
This  word  applies  to  all  ropes  by  which  sails  are 
hoisted,  whether  attached  to  a  spar,  or  to  the 
canvas  direct.  Now,  with  what  would  you  hoist 
the  flying  jib?" 

'^With  the  flying-jib  halyards,"  replied  Dick 
Short. 

"  When  the  topsails  are  set,  the  yards  are 
hoisted  np  by  halyards.  Now,  I  think  we  are 
done  with  this  drawing,  and  we  will  take  another," 
continued  the  principal ;  and  he  removed  it,  and 
pointed  to  a  new  one.  "  This  is  a  picture  of  the 
fore-topsail  of  a  ship,  with  all  the  rigging  that 
belongs  to  it,  as  well  as  the  two  yards  by  means 
of  which  it  is  set.  What  is  the  upper  yard 
called?" 

"The  fore-topsail-yard,"  answered  Fred  Grafton. 

"  On  this  yard  are  the  jackstays,  which  was 
a  rope  hauled  taut,  in  old  times,  and  secured  to 
the  wood.  But  in  modern  times  the  jackstays 
are  made  of  wood  or  iron.  However  they  are 
made,  the   sail  is  secured  to  the  yard  by  them. 


228  ALL   TAUT  ;    OK. 

You  perceive  that  the  yard  is  held  to  the  fore- 
topmast  by  a  band  of  iron  over  the  mast,  so  that 
the  cross-spar  may  slip  easily  up  and  down. 
The  halyards  are  forward  of  the  mast,  and  pass 
over  a  sheave  in  the  head  of  a  topmast.  The 
yard  is  hoisted  by  men  standing  on  the  deck. 
The  two  ropes  which  run  from  the  mast  to  the 
ends  of  the  yard  are  the  lifts  by  which  one  end 
may  be  raised  and  the  other  lowered,  which  is 
termed  cock-billing  the  3^ard.  The  lines  that 
run  down  to  the  middle  of  the  sail  are  the  bunt- 
lines,  and  are  used  to  haul  up  to  the  yard  the 
bunt,  or  body,  of  the  sail,  wdien  it  is  clewed  up. 
The  double  lines  that  extend  from  the  middle 
of  the  yard  down  to  tlie  corners  of  the  sail  are 
the  clew-lines,  and  are  employed  in  hauling  up 
the  corners,  or  clews,  of  the  topsail.  The  ropes 
or  chains,  as  may  be,  which  lead  from  the  corners 
of  the  topsail  to  the  end  of  the  topsail-yard 
below  are  the  sheets. 

''  Nautical  language  is  very  exacting  on  some  of 
these  points.  For  example,  we  clew  up  a  topsail, 
but  we  haul  up  a  course.  The  clew-lines  of  a 
topsail  become  clew-garnets  when  applied  to  a 
course. 


IIIGGING    THE   BOAT.  229 

"  The  blocks  at  the  end  of  the  topsail-yard  are 
for  the  braces  to  pass  through.  These  are  the 
ropes  by  which  the  yards  are  set  at  the  proper 
angle  to  take  the  wind.  They  lead  to  different 
parts  of  the  vessel,  as  convenience  requires.  At 
the  extreme  end  of  the  yard  is  the  jewel-block, 
through  which  the  halyard  of  the  studding-sail 
passes.  Across  the  sail  are  three  pieces  of  can- 
vas, called  reef-bands,  to  strengthen  the  sail  where 
the  reef-points  are  placed.  By  the  reef-tackle  the 
leech  of  the  sail  is  drawn  up  to  the  yard,  and 
the  points  tied  over  the  top  of  the  sail.  But  that 
Avill  do  for  to-day." 


230  ALL   TAUT  ;   OK, 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

THE   RIGGING   AND   SAILS   OF   A   SCHOONER. 

'^  "V^OU  did  not  tell  us  what  studding-sails 
are,"  said  Asli  Burton,  who  had  been 
deeply  interested  in  the  explanations  given.  "  You 
said  the  halyard  of  the  studding-sail  passed  through 
the  jewel-block,  and  that  was  all." 

"  I  have  nothing  to  illustrate  the  subject  with," 
replied  the  principal.  "  On  some  of  the  yards 
there  are  extra  spars,  which  can  be  run  out,  thus 
increasing  the  length  of  the  yard.  On  these  are 
set  the  studding-sails.  The  extra  spars  are  called 
studding-sail  booms  *' 

Captain  Gildrock  took  the  chalk,  and  made  a 
rough  drawing  of  the  sails  described,  so  that  the 
pupils  could  get  an  idea  of  them.  The  students 
were  then  dismissed,  and  after  supper  pulled  the 
barges  over  to  Sandy  Point,  where  some  of  them 
wanted  to  hear  about  the  removal  of  Mr.  Bristol's 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  231 

cottage  from  this  place  to  its  present  location. 
After  the  lessons  of  the  forenoon  the  next  day,  the 
work  of  rig^mna  the  boat  was  continued. 

But,  before  the  students  went  to  the  wharf,  they 
were  assembled  in  the  schoolroom,  where  a  dia- 
gram of  a  schooner  was  presented  to  them.  The 
rig  was  very  simple ;  for  she  was  not  to  be  fitted 
out  as  a  racing  craft,  though  some  of  the  ''kites" 
used  were  described. 

"The  rope,  which  is  sometimes  of  wire,  which 
passes  from  the  end  of  the  bowsprit  to  the  mast- 
head is  the  jibstay,  which,  in  our  craft,  does  duty 
as  the  forestay.  Tlie  bobstay  leads  from  the  end 
of  the  bowsprit  on  the  under  side,  to  the  cutwater, 
to  assist  in  bearing  the  strain  of  the  jibstay.  In  a 
craft  of  this  size  it  is  not  necessary  to  have  bow- 
sprit-shrouds and  other  headgear  used  in  a  large 
vessel.     The  bobstay  is  enough. 

"  We  shall  put  two  shrouds  on  each  side  of  each 
mast.  They  have  to  be  set  up  taut,  and  they  will 
keep  the  jibstay  tight.  The  rope  passing  from 
the  head  of  the  foremast  to  the  head  of  the  main- 
mast is  the  spring-stay,  which  ties  the  two  masts 
together,  and  equalizes  the  strain  upon  all  the 
rigging." 


232  ALL  taut;  OB, 

^'A  schooner  has  no  tops;  but  we  use  a  short 
stick  placed  across  the  mast  to  stay  the  topmast, 
sometimes  two  of  them,  like  the  cross-trees  of  a 
ship.  A  single  backstay  on  each  side  of  the 
topmast  is  enough  to  sustain  it.  From  the  top- 
mast-head we  have  a  stay,  which  is  the  fore-top- 
mast-stay. This  is  really  all  the  standing-rigging 
there  will  be  on  board  the  Lily." 

"  We  have  not  had  that  term  before,"  suggested 
Sam  Spottwood. 

"  The  two  terms  '  standing '  and  '  running  '  rig- 
ging explain  themselves,"  replied  the  principal. 
*'  The  former  is  that  which  is  immovable,  except 
with  the  vessel :  the  latter  is  that  by  which  the 
sails  are  set  and  trimmed,  and  the  various  move- 
ments of  all  kinds  are  effected. 

"The  other  spars  of  the  schooner  will  be  the 
gaffs  and  booms,  two  of  each  kind,  which  take 
their  names  from  the  masts  to  which  they  are 
attached.  Sometimes  there  is  no  boom  to  the 
foresail,  in  which  case  it  is  called  the  lug-fore- 
sail. The  rope  from  the  mainmast-head  to  the 
end  of  the  boom,  to  support  its  weight  when  the 
sail  is  not  set,  is  called  the  topping-lift. 

"Now  we  are  ready  to  look  at  the  sails,  and 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  233 

the  rigging  necessary  to  work  them,"  continued 
the  principal,  as  he  pointed  to  the  outlines  of  the 
sails  on  the  drawing.  "The  jib  is  a  three-cor- 
nered sail,  while  the  fore  and  main  sails  are  more 
nearly  square.  There  are  certain  names  of  the 
parts  of  the  sails  which  you  must  learn.  The 
head  of  the  sails  is  the  part  attached  to  the  gaffs, 
while  the  foot  is  fastened  to  the  boom.  The  leach, 
as  a  general  term,  is  the  outside  of  the  sail.  The 
outer,  or  after,  leach  of  the  mainsail  is  therefore 
that  part  of  the  sail  which  reaches  from  the  after 
end  of  the  gaff  to  the  same  part  of  the  boom. 
The  inner  leach  is  next  to  the  mast.  This  is  also 
called  the  luff. 

"  The  corners  of  the  sails  are  called  the  clews ; 
and  you  remember  that  the  clewlines  of  a  topsail 
were  to  hoist  up  the  corners  of  the  sail.  The 
after  corner  of  the  sail  at  the  foot,  is  also  called 
the  tack.  On  the  corners  of  the  courses  of  a 
ship,  there  are  ropes  for  holding  the  sail  in  posi- 
tion, which  change  their  names.  When  the  ship 
is  on  the  wind,  the  forward  one  is  the  tack,  and 
the  after  one  the  sheet.  When  the  ship  goes 
about,  these  ropes  change  their  names,  to  con- 
form   to   the   general   system;   which   is,   that   a 


234  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

sheet  is  the  after  rope  by  which  the  sail  is  held 
when  full. 

"  The  jib  has  the  same  parts  as  the  other  sails, 
though  of  course  it  has  only  three  clews ;  and  the 
same  is  true  of  a  gaff-topsail.  Now,  what  do  you 
call  the  line  by  which  we  hoist  the  jib  ?  " 

"  The  jib-halyards,"  replied  Chick  Penny,  who 
had  got  the  idea  of  the  system  very  clearly  in  his 
mind. 

" The  word  'halyards '  applies  to  all  sails.  What 
is  the  rope  with  which  the  foresail  is  hoisted  ?  " 

"  The  fore-halyards,"  answered  Con  Bunker. 

"  And  so  on.  Coming  back  to  the  jib,  what  is 
the  rope  attached  to  the  lower  corner?" 

"  The  jib-sheet,"  said  Syl  Peckman. 

"  Sometimes,  especially  in  small  craft  where  the 
sheet  leads  aft  to  the  standing-room,  there  are  two 
of  them,  which  are  distinguished  as  weather  and 
lee  jib-sheets.  Sometimes  the  sheet  works  on  a 
traveller,  which  is  an  iron  bar  extending  across 
the  forecastle,  on  which  the  ring  holding  the 
sheet-block  ma}-  slip  from  side  to  side  as  the  ves- 
sel tacks.  There  must  be  two  flying-jib  sheets, 
so  that  the  sail  may  be  drawn  down  on  each  side 
of  the  jib-stay,  as  occasion  requires. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  235 

"  Inside  of  the  hanks  or  hoops  of  tlie  jib,  where 
they  run  on  the  stay,  is  a  rope  leading  to  the  head 
of  the  sail,  used  for  hauling  it  down,  and  called 
a  downhaul.  I  have  mentioned  all  the  running- 
rigging  of  the  jibs ;  though  some  vessels  are  pro- 
vided with  additional  gear,  as  the  brails,  by  which 
the  sail  is  gathered  up  as  it  comes  down.  Now 
we  will  pass  to  the  after  sails,  the  jibs  taking  the 
general  name  of  head-sails. 

"There  are  two  sets  of  halyards  belonging  to 
the  fore  and  main  sails.  The  inner  end  of  the 
gaff,  where  it  is  hollowed  out  to  fit  the  mast,  is 
called  the  throat.  From  this  part,  the  inner  hal- 
yard gets  its  name  of  throat-halyards.  They  con- 
sist of  a  double  purchase,  with  a  rope  leading 
down  to  the  deck  on  the  port  side.  The  peak- 
halj^ards  are  sometimes  worked  with  a  double 
block,  and  sometimes  with  several  single  blocks, 
fixed  at  some  distance  a^Dart  on  the  gaff,  so  as  to 
divide  the  pressure.  They  lead  down  on  the  star- 
board side." 

''  Which  is  the  larboard-watch  ?  "  asked  a  Ver- 
mont bo}',  who  had  probably  heard  the  song  with 
this  name. 

"  Larboard  and  port  mean  the  same  thing ;  but 


236  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

the  former  \Yord  has  gone  out  of  use,  because  it 
is  so  liable  to  be  mistaken  for  the  opposite  term, 
starboard.  The  two  words  sounded  so  nearly 
alike  that  mistakes  were  sometimes  made.  Some 
time  within  a  few  years,  an  effort  was  made  in 
France  to  adopt  the  English  terms,  'starboard' 
and  '  port,*  instead  of  strihord^  or  trihord^  as  it  is 
now  written,  and  hahord;  though  they  are  not  so 
nearly  alike  as  starboard  and  larboard." 

"  Do  sailors  have  to  learn  the  names  of  terms 
in  foreign  languages  ?  "  asked  Tucker  Prince,  who 
seemed  to  be  surprised  that  the  princij^al  knew 
them. 

"  Not  unless  they  are  to  serve  in  foreign  vessels. 
The  Spanish  name  for  starboard  is  like  the  French, 
for  it  is  estribor;  while  port,  hahord  in  French,  is 
hahor.  In  Italian  the  words  are  dritta  and  sinistra. 
But  if  you  learn  the  terms  in  English,  it  will  be 
sufficient.  The  larboard-watch  is  now  called  the 
port-watch.  Tlie  ship's  company  are  divided  into 
the  two  watches,  called  the  starboard  and  port 
watclies. 

"  Both  the  fore  and  the  main  sail  have  sheets, 
each  taking  the  systematic  name.  Of  course,  you 
can  all  tell  wliere  the  fore  and  the  main  sheet  are 


BIGGING   THE  BOAT.  237 

to  be  found.  Some  vessels  have  brails  for  gather- 
ing up  the  mainsail  when  it  is  lowered,  but  they 
are  not  very  common." 

"  Where  is  the  main-brace  ?  "  asked  a  new  stu- 
dent. ''  I  heard  a  man  talking  about  splicing  the 
main-brace."' 

''  You  will  not  find  the  main-brace  in  a  schooner, 
and  you  will  not  find  the  particular  one  that  man 
meant  anywhere,  I  hope.  The  main-brace  in  a 
ship  is  one  of  the  two  by  which  the  main-yard  is 
is  trimmed.  Vulgarly,  to  splice  the  main-brace, 
means  to  take  a  dram. 

"  On  the  mainsail  of  the  Lily,  we  shall  have 
three  rows  of  reef-points,  by  which  we  reduce  the 
sail  to  as  many  different  sizes  as  the  force  of  the 
wind  may  require.  At  the  outer  leach,  in  line 
with  the  reef-points,  is  a  cringle.  This  is  simply 
a  hole,  through  wdiich  a  line,  called  the  reef-pen- 
dant, is  passed,  and  by  which  it  may  be  lashed 
down  to  the  boom.  Another  is  used  at  the  luff; 
and  when  the  sail  is  hauled  down  with  the  reef- 
pendants,  the  points  are  tied  in  square  knots,  so 
that  they  can  be  easily  cast  loose.  In  the  foresail, 
we  shall  have  but  two  reefs ;  often,  there  is  only 
one." 


238  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

"What  is  a  balance-reef?"  asked  Dick  Short, 
who  had  never  seen  any  thing  of  the  kind  on  the 
lake. 

"A  row  of  reef-points  is  sometimes,  but  very 
rarely,  extended  from  the  throat  of  the  gaff  to 
the  cringle  of  the  np[jer  line  of  reef-points  in  the 
outer  leach.  Wlien  this  reef  is  put  in,  only  the 
peak  of  the  sail  is  hoisted.  It  is  used  in  very 
heavy  weather,  when  the  other  reefs  are  not  suffi- 
cient. 

"  On  the  jib,  laced  to  the  lower  leach,  is  a  piece 
of  canvas  called  a  bonnet,  Avhicli  makes  the  jib 
so  much  larger.  The  Lily  has  a  bonnet  on  her 
jib,  which  she  will  wear  except  when  the  wind 
is  so  strong  as  to  render  it  necessary  to  remove  it. 

"  Through  the  end  of  the  main  gaff  is  a  hole, 
sometimes  fitted  with  a  sheave,  through  which  the 
ensign-halyards  are  passed.  This  is  the  place  to 
display  the  American  flag,  which  is  the  ensign  in 
the  navy.  On  yachts,  under  certain  circum- 
stances, it  is  carried  as  a  challenge  to  another 
yacht  to  sail  with  the  one  carrying  it. 

"  The  Lily  is  to  be  provided  with  gaff-topsails, 
not  so  much  to  increase  the  amount  of  canvas,  as 
because,  among  the  hills  that  surrDiind  the  lake 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  239 

in  places,  there  is  often  a  breeze  aloft,  when  there 
is  none,  or  next  to  none,  below.  These  sails  are 
triangular  in  form,  and  are  usually  bent  on  a  pole 
to  which  the  halyards  are  attached.  Sometimes 
the  sail  is  shaped  like  the  mainsail,  and  then  the 
pole  becomes  a  sort  of  yard.  Besides  the  halyard 
by  which  the  pole  is  hoisted,  there  are  two  other 
ropes  by  which  the  sail  is  worked  from  the  deck. 
The  tack  passes  through  a  block  at  the  mast-head, 
so  that  the  inner  corner  of  the  sail  can  be  drawn 
down  by  it.  The  sheet,  sometimes  called  the 
clew,  is  rigged  in  a  block  at  the  outer  end  of  the 
gaff,  so  as  to  correspond  with  the  other  sheets, 
and  passes  down  to  the  deck.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  go  aloft  to  set  the  sail,  unless  something  gets 
foul. 

"I  have  disposed  of  the  ordinary  sails  of  the 
Lily.  She  may  be  provided  with  several  others. 
On  the  fore-topmast-stay,  we  may  set  a  jib-top- 
sail or  a  balloon-jib.  The  former  is  a  compara- 
tively small  sail ;  while  the  latter  extends  to  the 
topmast-head,  and  reaches  aft  to  the  fore-rigging. 
It  is  made  of  light  duck,  and  is  bent  to  the  stay 
with  spring  hanks,  so  that  it  may  be  readily  taken 
off  and  stowed  below.      This  same  sail  may  be 


240  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

used  as  a  spinnaker ,  in  whicli  case,  the  tack  is 
rigged  at  the  end  of  a  sort  of  studding-sail-boom 
carried  out  from  the  fore-chains.  It  is  used  in 
either  way  only  when  the  wind  is  free  ;  that  is, 
abaft  tlie  beam.  We  might  also  set  a  staysail, 
which  is  square ;  the  upper  clews  being  hoisted  to 
the  topmast-heads,  and  the  tack  and  sheet  secured 
near  the  deck.  This  may  be  used  on  the  wind.'" 
The  students  then  went  to  the  wharf. 


RIGGING  THE  BOAT.  241 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

ORGANIZING  THE   SHIP'S   COMPANY. 

Tj^OR  the  next  week,  Bates  was  the  principal 
instructor  of  the  students  on  board  the  Lily 
while  they  were  employed  in  putting  on  the  rig- 
ging. The  short  lines  which  had  been  on  the 
wharf  for  a  week  were  in  demand,  and  the  old 
man  showed  the  boys  how  to  make  a  few  of  the 
most  useful  knots.  They  were  required  to  repeat 
the  operations  till  they  could  make  the  knots 
without  stopping  to  dream  over  them. 

The  old  quartermaster  was  patient  with  them 
while  they  were  attentive  to  their  duty ;  and  in 
a  few  days  they  could  make  a  bowline  hitch,  tie  a 
square  knot,  put  a  clove  hitch  on  a  stick,  and 
some  others.  Then  came  a  lesson  in  short  and 
long  splices,  and  then  in  parcelling  and  serving. 
Thus  trained,  the  work  of  setting  up  the  rigging 
proceeded  rapidly ;  and  in  a  couple  of  weeks  the 
schooner  was  rigged  and  her  sails  bent. 


242  ALL  TAUT  ;   OH, 

It  was  a  day  of  triumph  at  the  school  when  she 
was  completed,  and  ready  to  go  forth  on  the  lake. 
So  great  was  the  interest  m  her,  that  the  Sylph 
was  neglected  on  Saturdays  and  holidays.  The 
Lily  was  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  entire 
school  of  thirty-two  ;  and  immediately  after  break- 
fast, on  the  Saturday  after  she  was  finished,  all 
hands  were  required  to  be  on  board  of  her. 

Among  the  older  pupils  were  two  from  New- 
York  City,  who  had  received  a  very  fair  nautical 
education  on  the  yacht  of  the  fatlier  of  one  of 
them.  Matt  Randolph  knew  all  about  a  schooner  ; 
for  such  was  the  rig  of  his  father's  yacht,  and 
he  had  sailed  in  her  for  several  years.  He  had 
crossed  the  Atlantic  one  summer  in  her,  and,  from 
choice,  had  done  duty  as  a  foremast  hand.  Luke 
Bennington,  his  friend,  had  been  with  him  enough 
to  be  very  well  informed  on  nautical  subjects. 

The  students  were  expecting  something  unusual 
when  they  went  on  board  of  the  schooner  that 
morning.  The  first  thing  they  were  required  to 
do  was  to  tow  the  Lily  out  into  the  middle  of 
Beechwater,  which  was  done  with  tlie  small 
boats. 

When  her  anchor  went  down.  Captain  Gildrock 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  243 

opened  the  business  of  the  day  with  a  speech.  As 
all  hands  wanted  to  sail  in  her,  he  proposed  to 
organize  a  ship's  company  to  man  her. 

"  As  on  board  of  the  Sylph,  we  shall  do  every 
thing  by  rule,"  said  the  principal.  "  We  will 
divide  the  ship's  company  into  two  watches,  and 
do  every  thing  in  nautical  style.  In  the  first 
place  we  want  a  captain  and  two  mates.  I  shall 
appoint  these.  For  captain,  I  name  Matthew 
Randolph ;  for  he  has  had  more  experience  with 
schooners  than  any  other  student." 

Not  a  few  of  the  boys  looked  at  Dory,  as  though 
they  thought  he  ought  to  have  been  assigned  to 
this  position;  but  he  looked  serene,  and  there 
was  no  appearance  of  disappointment  visible  in 
his  open  face. 

"  For  first  officer,  or  mate,  I  appoint  Luke  Ben- 
nington, who  has  also  had  considerable  experience 
in  schooners.  For  second  mate,  or  second  officer, 
Oscar  Chester.  In  merchant  vessels,  the  first  offi- 
cer is  called  simply  the  mate.  We  shall  need  but 
two  of  these  officers,  one  for  each  watch.  Gener- 
ally, the  captain  keeps  no  watch  -,  and,  by  a  certain 
nautical  usage,  the  second  mate  is  said  to  keep 
the  captain's  watch,  which  is  the  starboard." 


244  ALL    TAUT  ;    OE, 

Oscar  Chester,  the  second  mate,  wanted  to  de- 
cline the  position  assigned  to  him ;  for  he  felt  that 
Dory  Dornwood,  who  was  considered  the  most 
capable  student  in  the  school,  had  been  strangely 
ignored.  The  principal  smilingly  declined  to  per- 
mit him  to  do  so.  In  fact,  he  had  talked  this  mat- 
ter over  with  Dory,  who  felt  that  he  had  received 
all  the  honors  that  belonged  to  him,  and  wished  to 
be  ignored  for  the  benefit  of  others. 

Captain  Gildrock  then  appointed  a  cook,  who 
was  experienced  in  his  line  on  board  of  the  steamer, 
and  three  stewards.  In  the  forward  cabin,  there 
was  a  cook-stove ;  and  there  was  a  pantry  in  the 
cabin,  which  extended  nearly  to  the  foremast. 

"  I  need  not  say  to  you,  for  jou  have  all  sailed 
enough  in  the  Sylph  to  know  it,  that  all  hands 
must  obey  their  superior  officers.  Now  we  will 
proceed  to  divide  the  ship's  company  into  watches. 
The  captain  will  take  the  first  choice,  and  the 
mate  the  second,  and  so  on  until  all  are  stationed." 

"  Dory  Dornwood,"'  said  Captain  Randolph. 

"  Thad  Glovering,"  added  the  mate. 

The  captain's  watch  were  required  to  go  over 
to  the  starboard  side,  and  the  mate's  to  the  port 
side.     The   principal   gave   each  student   a   star, 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  245 

with  a  pill  to  it,  so  that  it  could  be  stuck  on 
the  coat-sleeve.  The  starboard-watch  wore  it 
on  the  right  arm,  and  the  port  on  the  left. 

"It  is  now  eight  o'clock,"  said  the  principal,  con- 
sulting his  watch,  and  looking  at  the  new  captain. 

"  Quartermaster,  strike  eight  bells,"  said  Ran- 
dolph, nodding  to  Dory. 

Dory  obeyed  the  order,  and  struck  the  required 
number  on  a  bell,  which  Mr.  Jepson  had  put  up  on 
the  bowsprit  bitts.  He  made  the  sounds  by  twos, 
as  is  the  custom  on  board  ship,  so  that  the  number 
may  be  easily  counted. 

"The  captain  has  appointed  Dory  Dornwood 
and  Corny  Minkfield  quartermasters,"  said  Cap- 
tain Gildrock.  "  In  the  navy,  it  is  the  duty  of 
these  officers  to  con  the  wheel." 

"  Con  the  wheel  I  "  exclaimed  a  student. 

"Not  a  familiar  expression  on  shore,  I  grant; 
but  that  is  the  word  on  a  naval  vessel.  It  means 
to  watch  the  wheel,  or  to  oversee  the  steering," 
the  principal  explained.  "  The  sailor  who  has  the 
trick  at  the  wheel  may  be  careless,  and  the  quar- 
termaster is  responsible  for  the  steering.  Some- 
times two,  and  even  four,  men  are  required  to 
handle  the  wheel  in  heavy  weather." 


246  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

The  boys  were  beginning  to  be  impatient ;  for 
they  were  anxious  to  get  under  way,  to  see  how 
the  vessel  they  had  built  would  work,  and  whether 
there  was  any  speed  in  her.  But  there  was  not 
a  breath  of  air  stirring,  and  it  would  have  been 
useless  to  hoist  the  sails.  When  one  asked  if  they 
were  going  to  set  the  sails,  the  principal  explained 
that  it  would  be  worse  than  folly  to  do  so,  for  the 
schooner  would  certainly  drift  to  the  shore,  and 
get  aground. 

"While  w^e  are  waiting  for  a  breeze,  and  we 
shall  soon  have  one,  I  will  explain  something  more 
about  the  watches,"  continued  the  principal.  "  In 
getting  under  way,  all  hands  are  on  dut}',  and  the 
first  business  is  to  arrange  the  watches  as  we  have 
done.  The  first  watch,  which  is  always  the  star- 
board, goes  on  duty  at  eight  on  the  evening  of  the 
first  day.  It  is  in  charge  of  the  second  mate, 
though  the  captain  may  keep  it  if  he  chooses. 

"  This  watch  serves  till  twelve  o'clock  at  night ; 
and  then  the  port-watch  is  called,  and  the  mate 
takes  the  deck.  At  four,  the  starboard-wiitch 
serves  the  next  four  hours.  Tlie  watch  from  mid- 
night till  four  in  the  morning  is  called  the  mid- 
watch,  that  from  four  in  the  morning  till  eight  is 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  247 

the  morning-watch.  From  eight  till  twelve  is  the 
forenoon-watch,  which  comes  in  at  the  present 
time.  From  twelve  till  four  in  the  afternoon  is 
the  afternoon-watch. 

"At  this  time  we  come  to  the  dog-watches, 
which  are  two  hours  in  length,  instead  of  four,  as 
the  others  are.  Without  them  the  starboard- 
watch,  which  was  on  duty  from  eight  till  twelve, 
and  then  from  four  till  eight  in  the  morning, 
would  have  to  take  the  same  place  the  next  night. 
They  were  on  watch  eight  hours  in  the  night, 
while  the  port-w^atch  served  only  four. 

"  During  the  first  dog-watch,  from  four  till  six 
in  the  afternoon,  the  port-watch  is  called.  At  six, 
to  serve  till  eight,  the  starboard-watch  has  the 
deck ;  so  that  the  port  will  come  on  at  eight,  and 
have  eight  hours  of  duty  during  the  second  night. 
The  dog-watches  therefore  equalize  the  night 
work.  But,  in  very  heavy  weather,  all  hands  are 
liable  to  be  called,  and  to  remain  on  duty  all 
night. 

"  When  a  ship  leaves  a  foreign  or  domestic  port 
for  home,  the  rule  is  reversed,  and  the  port-watch 
goes  on  duty  at  eight  in  the  evening.  As  the 
sailors  say,  the  captain  takes  the  ship  out,  and 


248  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

the  mate  brings  her  home.  But  it  looks  as  though 
we  should  have  a  breeze  soon,  and  we  are  not 
quite  ready  for  it." 

Like  the  proceedings  of  a  political  caucus,  every 
thing  seemed  to  be  cut  and  dried,  even  to  the 
wind  that  did  not  blow  ;  for  the  principal  now  pro- 
duced a  bundle  of  cards,  which  he  called  the 
station-bills.  He  gave  one  to  each  student ;  and 
the  boy  found  his  own  name  written  upon  it,  with 
his  duty  in  all  the  operations  "of  working  the  ves- 
sel. His  place  in  weighing  the  anchor,  in  setting 
the  sails,  in  coming  to  anchor,  in  making  a  land- 
ing at  a  wharf,  and  in  tacking,  were  written  upon 
the  card. 

The  principal  explained  that  a  short  drill  was 
next  in  order,  and  directed  Captain  Randolph  to 
proceed  with  it.  He  put  the  crew  through  the  rou- 
tine of  every  manoeAivre,  and  practised  it  till  each 
student  knew  his  station.  The  schooner  was  very 
heavily  manned,  and  it  had  required  no  little  skill 
to  divide  the  work  among  them.  Before  the  drill 
was  finished,  there  was  quite  a  ripi-)le  on  Beech- 
water,  indicating  that  there  was  A^ind  enough  to 
give  the  vessel  steerage-way. 

"  Stations  for  hoisting  the  fore  and  main  sails !  " 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  249 

called  the  captain,  at  a  signal  from  the  principal. 
Tliere  was  no  nonsense  about  the  work  this  time, 
for  the  schooner  was  to  get  under  way.  The  boys 
were  very  active,  and  even  Tom  Topover  moved 
as  though  he  delighted  to  obey  orders. 

Certain  hands  stationed  themselves  at  the  hal- 
yards, and  others  stood  ready  to  loose  the  sails. 
Orders  had  been  sufficiently  established  by  the 
drill,  to  prevent  the  boys  from  touching  a  rope 
till  the  command  to  do  so  was  given. 

"  Loose  sails  !  "  shouted  the  captain. 

"Loose  sails,"  repeated  the  mate,  who  was  in 
the  waist,  and  was  required  to  repeat  every  order 
when  all  hands  were  on  duty. 

The  sail-loosers  cast  off  the  stops,  which  secured 
the  sails  to  the  booms ;  while  a  couple  of  others 
at  each  of  the  masts  cast  off  the  halyards,  over- 
hauled them,  and  saw  that  they  were  in  order  for 
instant  use. 

"  Hoist  fore  and  main  sail !  "  said  the  captain  ; 
and  the  order  was  repeated  by  the  mate,  while 
the  second  mate  was  required  to  see  that  the  work 
was  properly  done  at  the  foremast,  as  the  first 
officer  did  at  the  mainmast. 

The  sails  went  up  as  if  by  magic,  so  vigorous 


250  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

were  the  hands  at  the  halyards.  They  were 
swigged  up,  and  the  slack  taken  in,  as  prescribed 
in  the  drill. 

"  Man  the  capstan  !  "  called  Captain  Randolph, 
when  the  sails  were  properly  set.  ''  Heave  up 
the  anchor  to  a  short  stay,  Mr.  Bennington ! " 

The  mate  superintended  this  operation,  and  the 
anchor  was  soon  reported  aweigh. 

'•  Man  the  jib-halyards  I  Stand  by  the  jib-down- 
haul!''  continued  the  captain,  when  the  report 
had  been  made  to  him.  "  The  wind  is  a  little 
south  of  west,  and  we  will  cast  on  the  port-tack." 

"  On  the  port-tack,  sir,"  replied  the  mate,  as  he 
went  forward  to  see  the  order  executed. 

Enough  hands  remained  at  the  capstan  to  trip 
the  anchor ;  and,  as  the  jib  went  up  the  stay,  the 
anchor  was  lifted  from  the  bottom.  Two  hands 
were  at  the  jib-sheets,  and,  as  tlie  sail  began  to 
draw,  they  trimmed  it  down ;  and,  for  the  first  time 
in  her  brief  existence,  the  Lily  began  to  move 
under  sail  through  the  water. 

"Three  cheers!"  shouted  Dory  Dornwood ;  and 
they  were  given. 


RIGGING   TH1-:   BOAT.  251 


CHAPTER   XXIIL 

THE   TRIAL   TRIP   OF   THE   LILY. 

y^wORY  DORNWOOD  had  been  sent  to  the 
-^-^  wheel;  and,  as  the  sails  of  the  schooner  filled, 
he  met  her  with  the  helm.  She  heeled  over  a 
little,  and  but  a  little,  for  the  wind  was  very  light 
in  Beechwater.  On  the  shore,  everybody  con- 
nected with  the  institution  in  any  capacity  had 
assembled  to  observe  the  movements  of  the  new 
vessel.  The  three  cheers  in  which  Dory  had  led 
off  drew  from  them  a  lively  response. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  Lily  was  near  the  outlet ; 
but  the  principal  directed  the  captain  to  make  a 
turn  around  the  lake,  so  that  all  could  get  a  good 
view  of  her. 

''  Ready,  about ! "  shouted  the  commander  to 
the  officers,  who  repeated  the  order ,  and  all  hands 
took  their  stations  for  tackino\ 

Dory  saw  that  the  Lily  had  a  good  full.     The 


252  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

sails  fitted  extremely  well ;  for  they  had  been 
made  by  the  firm  recommended  by  Matt  Ran- 
dolph, who  had  furnished  his  father's  yacht,  as 
well  as  many  others  of  tlie  highest  class. 

"Hard  a-lee  !  *'  continued  the  captain,  when  the 
vessel  was  in  tlie  right  place  for  coming  about. 

Dory  put  the  helm  down,  and  all  the  sails  shook 
for  a  moment ;  then  they  began  to  fill  on  the 
other  side.  As  instructed,  the  hands  in  charge 
of  the  jib-sheets  held  the  sail  over  till  it  was 
filled;  and,  in  this  position,  it  caught  the  wind 
sooner  than  the  other  sails,  and  assisted  in  carry- 
ing the  head  around. 

"Draw  jib  ! "  said  the  captain ;  and  the  order  was 
repeated  by  the  second  mate  on  the  forecastle. 

"  Slack  off  tlie  weather-sheet ! "  added  Oscar 
Chester,  who  knew  liis  part  well,  though  this  was 
the  first  time  he  had  ever  sailed  in  a  schooner. 
"  Haul  on  the  lee-sheet !  Too  much  !  Ease  off  a 
little  !     That  will  do  ;  belay  the  lee-sheet !  " 

The  schooner  had  come  about,  and  was  now 
standing  towards  the  old  wharf,  whore  the  people 
of  the  institution  were  assembled,  including  the 
ladies  from  the  liouse  and  tlie  cottage.  The  in- 
structors and  others  cheered  lustily,  and  the  ladies 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  253 

waved  their  liandkercliiefs  vigorously.  Doubtless, 
the  latter  wished  they  were  on  board ;  but  the 
principal  would  not  allow  any  extra  persons  on 
board  until  the  ship's  company  had  been  well 
drilled  in  handling  the  vessel. 

With  so  many  hands,  there  was  very  little  for 
them  to  do ;  but  the  captain  gave  them  as  much 
as  possible  to  work  off  their  enthusiasm.  He  kept 
those  at  the  sheets  tolerable  busy  hauling  in  and 
easing  off  frequently,  to  enable  him  to  get  the 
"points"  of  the  craft,  as  he  described  it.  He  let 
her  go  free  for  a  moment,  and  then  braced  her  up 
to  the  wind,  making  all  the  change  he  could  with- 
out tacking. 

As  the  Lily  approached  the  old  wharf  where 
the  spectators  were  assembled,  he  got  a  course 
parallel  with  the  shore,  and,  with  the  wind  a  little 
abaft  the  beam,  allowed  her  to  do  her  best  in  a 
light  wind.  Her  bow  was  quite  sharp,  and  she 
was  the  best  model  the  principal  could  obtain  of 
the  most  celebrated  modeller  in  New  York.  She 
had  been  built  in  strict  conformity  to  the  plans 
and  specifications,  both  in  respect  to  the  spars  and 
sails  as  well  as  the  hull. 

It  had  been  unanimously  agreed  that  she  ought 


254  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

to  be  a  fast  sailer,  by  all  who  had  seen  her,  iiiclud- 
some  experts  who  had  visited  Captain  Gildrock. 
It  remained  still  to  be  proved  wliether  or  not  she 
was  all  that  had  been  hoped  and  expected  of  her. 
Though  she  did  not  wear  racing-sails,  she  was 
liberall}^  supplied  with  canvas.  But  the  wind 
in  Beech  water  was  too  light  to  give  her  a  fair 
test,  and  it  came  in  light  puffs  and  squalls. 

For  the  amount  of  breeze  she  had,  she  did 
very  well ;  and  there  was  quite  a  bone  in  her 
teeth  as  she  approached  the  wharf.  The  cheers 
and  signals  of  the  ladies  were  promptly  answered ; 
for  Captain  Gildrock  was  a  naval  officer  of  the 
old  school,  and  insisted  that  every  compliment 
paid  to  the  craft  should  receive  a  proper  response. 
There  was  no  steam-whistle,  as  on  board  of  the 
steamer;  and  the  only  way,  except  with  cheers, 
to  reply,  was  by  dipping  the  ensign.  This  was 
done  several  times  by  Quatermaster  Minkfield. 

Off  the  old  wharf  it  was  necessary  to  brace 
her  up,  and  she  was  headed  for  the  mouth  of 
the  creek ;  but  there  was  no  one  at  the  cottage 
to  salute  the  new  craft,  its  occupants  having 
joined  the  other  spectators.  The  water  was  deep 
at  the  entrance   of  the   stream ;  and   the   captain 


RIGGING  THE  BOAT.  255 

ran  the  schooner  a  short  distance  into  it,  as  far 
as  he  coukl  and  have  room  to  come  about. 

"  Ready,  about ! "  he  called  to  the  mate  rather 
sharply,  when  she  had  gone  as  far  as  he  deemed 
it  prudent  to  proceed  up  the  creek. 

She  did  not  tack  as  handsomely  as  she  had  at 
the  other  end  of  the  little  lake,  for  the  wind  was 
baffling  behind  the  woods  on  the  shore ;  but  she 
got  about  with  a  little  humoring.  Captain  Gild- 
rock  smiled,  and  shook  his  head,  as  he  looked  at 
Captain  Randolph. 

"Didn't  I  do  it  right,  sir?"  asked  Matt,  when 
he  saw  that  what  he  had  done  was  not  approved, 
though  it  was  not  condemned. 

"Perfectly  right,  so  far  as  handling  the  schooner 
is  concerned.  But  you  made  it  possible  that  we 
might  require  the  services  of  the  Sylph  to  assist 
in  getting  her  off  a  mud  bank,"  replied  the  prin- 
cipal, tempering  his  remark  with  a  smile  again. 

"  I  thought  I  had  room  enough  to  go  in  stays," 
pleaded  the  captain  of  the  Lily. 

"  So  you  had,  so  far  as  the  schooner  is  con- 
cerned; but  you  had  to  humor  her  in  stays,  for 
the  wind  was  unsteady  and  puffy. 

"  Of  course  it  was  !     What  could  you  expect 


256  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

in  such  a  place  in  the  woods?  There  is  little 
wind  enough  anywhere  on  Beechwater,  but  there 
is  less  among  the  trees  than  in  the  open  water. 
The  principal  trouble  with  boys  is  that  they  will 
run  risks.  They  want  to  cut  a  hair  off  at  every 
corner.  They  think  a  young  fellow  can't  be  a 
good  boatman  unless  he  takes  risks ;  and,  the 
greater  the  risk,  the  better  the  boatman,  in  his 
estimation,"  continued  the  principal,  in  a  low 
tone,  so  that  none  of  the  other  students  could 
hear  him. 

"  I  didn't  think  I  was  taking  any  risk,"  added 
Matt. 

"You  took  the  risk  of  getting  aground  between 
two  puffs,  and  nothing  but  the  current  of  the 
stream  saved  you  from  it,"  replied  Captain  Gild- 
rock.  "  I  believe  in  taking  a  risk  when  there  is 
need  of  it,  but  never  for  mere  sport,  or  to  show 
that  one  is  a  skilful  boatman." 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  sir,  for  speaking 
to  me  about  it,"  replied  Matt,  who  did  not  regard 
himself  as  censured ;  for  the  principal  had  a  way 
of  condemning  an  act  without  hurting  the  self- 
respect  of  the  actor. 

"  I  have  said  it  a  great  man}'  times  in  school, 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  257 

and  in  tlie  various  craft,  that  we  should  take  no 
unnecessary  risks.  I  believe  that  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  boating  accidents  result  from  care- 
lessness. There  is  no  reason  why  a  good  boat 
should  not  stay  on  the  top  of  the  water,  even  in 
a  gale  of  wind.  If  the  boat  is  a  good  one,  —  and 
it  is  a  risk  to  go  on  the  water  in  any  other, — she 
will  float  on  any  sea." 

"She  may  be  caught  in  a  squall,"  suggested 
Matt. 

"  Squalls  are  always  to  be  expected,  and  it  is 
necessary  to  understand  how  to  deal  with  them. 
At  sea,  out  of  sight  of  land,  we  have  to  take 
whatever  comes.  You  have  sailed  a  yacht  enough 
to  know  what  to  do  in  a  squall." 

''  Something  may  break,"  suggested  Matt. 

"Sails  and  rigging  should  be  frequently  over- 
hauled, to  make  it  reasonably  sure  that  they  will 
not  give  out  at  a  critical  moment.  It  is  taking 
a  needless  risk  to  neglect  to  do  this." 

"  Then  you  don't  believe  that  any  disasters 
ought  to  occur?" 

"  I  will  not  go  quite  so  far  as  that :  nine-tenths 
of  them  could  be  avoided  by  taking  no  needless 
risk.     But  we  are  all  human  ;  and  while  boatmen 


258  ALL  TAUT  ;   OR, 

will  take  risks,  and  be  careless,  there  must  be 
accidents.  I  advise  you  to  let  the  pilot  take  the 
vessel  throug^h  the  outlet." 

Dory  Dornwood  was  the  pilot ;  and  he  had  had 
more  experience  in  taking  sailing  craft  through 
the  bend  of  the  stream  than  any  other  person  on 
board,  —  or  in  the  town,  for  that  matter.  The  prin- 
cipal wanted  to  add,  that  this  same  pilot  was  the 
most  reliable  young  skipper  he  had  ever  known, 
and  for  the  simple  reason  that  he  took  no  needless 
risks,  though  he  was  ready  to  incur  those  which 
occasion  required ;  but  the  remark  might  hurt 
the  feelings  of  the  new  captain,  and  it  was  not 
uttered. 

The  Lily  was  handed  over  to  Dory,  and  the 
ship's  company  were  directed  to  obey  his  orders. 
This  was  no  sacrifice  of  dignity  or  authority,  for 
every  pilot  in  charge  of  a  vessel  has  the  absolute 
command  of  her  for  the  time.  The  current  of  the 
outlet  had  piled  up  banks  of  sand  and  mud  in 
places ;  and  it  was  necessary,  in  such  a  compara- 
tively narrow  channel,  to  know  where  they  were. 

Dory  gave  his  orders  to  the  mate,  and  they  were 
executed  in  the  same  manner  as  thougli  they  had 
come  from  the  captain.     Tlie  wind  was  better  at 


EIGGING   THE   BOAT.  259 

the  V- Point  than  it  had  been  in  the  creek,  and  the 
pilot  had  no  difficulty  in  taking  the  Lily  through. 
She  was  not  as  long,  by  fort}^  feet,  as  the  Sylph ; 
but  at  one  place  she  had  to  make  a  short  tack 
of  not  much  more  than  twice  her  length,  and  it 
required  no  little  skill  to  make  every  thing  work 
so  as  to  avoid  a  miss-stay. 

The  schooner  came  out  all  right  on  the  river. 
Captain  Randolpli  resumed  the  command.  The 
students  watched  the  motion  of  the  Lily  with  the 
most  intense  interest,  especially  those  who  had 
taken  a  hand  in  building  her  hull.  The  wind 
freshened  as  she  came  nearer  to  Lake  Champlain  : 
she  heeled  over  more,  and  the  bone  in  her  teetli 
increased  in  size. 

Li  a  little  while  she  passed  out  of  the  river  into 
the  lake.  The  wind  was  now  about  south-west, 
and  this  is  always  a  rather  unsteady  breeze.  As 
she  came  to  the  point  at  tlie  mouth  of  the  river, 
the  sheets  were  started,  and  the  schooner  went  off 
with  the  wind  on  the  port-quarte]-.  As  the  day 
advanced,  the  breeze  had  freshened,  till  the  stu- 
dents had  all  they  wanted.  It  came  over  miles  of 
open  lake,  and  there  was  nothing  to  obstruct  it. 
The  Lily  seemed  to  fly  on  her  course,  and  the  boys 


260  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

were  excited  to  a  degree  which  made  them  quite 
noisy.  After  the  sails  had  been  trimmed,  there 
was  nothing  for  them  to  do  except  to  watch  the 
motion  of  the  vessel. 

Captain  Gildrock  carried  his  watch  in  his  hand, 
and  had  noted  the  second  when  the  schooner 
passed  the  point  at  the  mouth  of  the  river.  It 
was  exactly  three  miles  to  the  headland  just  be- 
yond the  light  at  Split  Rock  Point.  Dory  told  his 
fellow-quartermaster,  that  the  speed  of  the  Lily 
could  not  be  much  less  than  that  of  the  Sylph 
wdien  she  had  a  good  breeze.  She  was  up  with 
the  point  ahead  before  any  one  had  had  time  to 
do  much  thinking  over  the  matter. 

''Fifteen  minutes  from  the  mouth  of  the  river 
to  Split  Rock  Point  I  "  exclaimed  the  principal, 
looking  at  his  watch. 

"  Twelve  knots  an  hour  I  *'  exclaimed  Captain 
Randolph. 

"Not  quite,"  added  the  principal.  "The  dis- 
tances on  the  lake  are  given  in  statute  miles.  It  is 
only  about  two  and  half  nautical  miles  from  point 
to  point,  and  that  is  only  ten  knots  an  hour,  which 
I  call  very  fast  sailing." 

The  principal  gave  the  speed  to  the  rest  of  the 


TUGGING    THE   BOAT.  261 

students,  and  tlien  explained  the  difference  be- 
tween nautical  and  statute  miles. 

"  The  Lil}'  will  do  better  than  that  yet,"  said 
Captain  Randolph,  "  for  we  have  not  hurried  her ; 
and,  with  the  gaff-topsails,  I  think  she  will  be  good 
for  twelve  knots  an  hour." 

The  principal  assented  to  the  proposition. 


262  ALL  taut;  or, 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

A    LIVELY    BEEEZE   ON    LAKE   CHAMPLAIN. 

rr^HE  trial  trip  of  the  Lil}^  was  certainly  a  siic- 
^  cess  so  far,  but  her  captain  was  not  quite  sat- 
isfied. She  had  made  ten  knots  an  hour ;  and  he 
wanted  to  know  if  she  was  not  equal  to  twelve, 
which  was  the  ordinary  speed  of  the  Sylph. 
Above  Split  Rock  the  lake  begins  to  widen,  and 
the  schooner  had  plenty  of  searoom.  The  sea 
had  become  tolerably  smart,  and  the  Lily  pitched 
in  a  very  oceanic  style.  The  boys  liked  this  sort 
of  thing,  though  some  of  the  new  liands  began  to 
be  seasick. 

At  the  request  of  Captain  Randolph,  tlie  princi- 
pal consented  to  the  setting  of  the  gaff-topsails. 
It  was  blowing  very  fresh  now ;  and  it  was  not  a 
very  easy  thing  to  get  these  sails  aloft,  especially 
with  a  crew  not  a  half  a  dozen  of  whom  had  over 
seen   a    gaff-topsail    set.     Even    D»^ry    liad    never 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  263 

seen  this  sail  iset,  except  at  a  distance ;  but  he  was 
perfectly  familiar  with  the  theory. 

The  lake  was  now  covered  with  white  caps,  and 
the  sea  seemed  to  be  increasing.  The  principal 
was  rather  sorry  that  he  had  consented  to  the  set- 
ting of  the  gaff-topsails.  He  was  the  only  adult 
on  board,  for  even  Bates  had  been  left  on  shore. 
He  finally  modified  his  consent,  after  the  sails 
had  been  brought  up  from  below,  so  as  to  require 
that  the  Lily  should  be  anchored  under  the  lee 
of  Cannon's  Point  when  the  gaff-topsails  were 
set. 

The  captain  gave  the  order  to  brace  her  up,  and 
run  for  the  point  indicated.  The  crew  were  aston- 
ished when  the  order  came  for  them  to  take  their 
stations  to  anchor  the  schooner.  When  she  luffed 
up,  the  jib  was  hauled  down  ;  and,  at  the  right  time, 
the  anchor  was  let  go. 

"  Stations  for  setting  the  gaff-topsails !  "  called 
the  mate,  who  had  received  the  order  for  the  work 
from  the  captain. 

By  this  time  the  boys  had  studied  their  station- 
bills  enough  to  know  their  duty,  and  they  had 
been  drilled  in  doing  it.  While  waiting  for  a 
breeze,  they  had  set  both  gaff-topsails  at  the  same 


264  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

time ;  and  off  Cannon's  Point  it  was  done  as  well 
as  it  had  been  in  the  quiet  of  Beechwater. 

''  Stations  for  weighing  anchor ! "  called  the 
captain. 

The  students  were  happy  again,  and  even  liap- 
pier  than  before ;  for  the  extra  sails  had  been  set, 
and  they  were  to  be  under  way  again.  In  a  few 
minutes  more  —  for,  with  so  many  hands,  very 
quick  work  was  made  of  all  the  manoeuvres,  —  the 
Lily  was  standing  down  the  lake  again.  The  gaff- 
topsails  made  a  wonderful  difference  in  the  action 
of  the  schooner,  for  they  took  the  wind  from  above 
the  bluffs. 

With  the  wind  on  the  port-quarter,  the  schooner 
seemed  to  leap  like  a  greyhound  on  her  course. 
It  was  evident  that  she  w^as  an  able  sea-boat ;  for 
she  lifted  handsomely  on  the  waves,  and  did  not 
burv  her  bows  in  the  water.  She  carried  a  strong^ 
weather-helm;  though  the  power  gained  by  the 
horizontal  wheel  made  it  easy  to  steer  her,  much 
easier  than  it  would  have  been  even  with  a  long 
tiller. 

Captain  Gildrock  measured  the  distance  from 
Cannon's  Point  to  Burlington,  where  he  had  di- 
rected the  captain  to  put  in,  and  found  it  was  six 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  265 

miles  to  a  certain  spot  near  the  breakwater.  He 
was  sorry  he  had  forgotten  to  bring  a  log-line  with 
him.  He  took  the  time  of  the  departure,  after 
the  schooner  was  fairly  under  way. 

"  I  shall  ask  you  for  a  boat  off  Burlington 
when  you  get  under  the  lee  of  the  breakwater,  for 
I  have  to  go  to  the  bank,"  said  the  principal  to 
the  captain.  "I  shall  be  busy  there  for  two 
hours ;  and,  while  I  am  on  shore,  you  may  run  over 
to  Au  Sable  Point,  which  is  about  far  enough  to 
use  up  the  time.  Do  you  think  you  can  get  along 
without  me  ?  " 

''  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you  with  us  all  the 
time  ;  but  I  am  sure  I  can  handle  the  schooner, 
for  I  have  navigated  the  Sea  Sprite  for  a  whole 
day  in  the  absence  of  the  sailing-master,*'  replied 
Captain  Randolph  confidently. 

"  The  wind  is  blowing  rather  fresh,  but  the  Lily 
proves  herself  to  be  an  able  sea-boat.  The  only 
thing  to  fear  is,  that  some  of  your  crew  may  give 
you  trouble." 

"  I  don't  think  they  will  be  likely  to  do  so  on 
the  first  trip ;  but,  if  any  do,  I  think  we  can  man- 
age them,  for  I  am  sure  all  the  old  scholars  will 
stick  by  me." 


266  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

'^  I  don't  believe  you  will  have  any  trouble,  and 
you  will  be  likely  to  be  back  in  less  than  two 
hours.     I  will  get  through  as  soon  as  I  can." 

There  was  nothing  about  the  crew  that  indi- 
cated a  mutiny,  or  even  any  trouble ;  for  all  of 
them  obeyed  orders  with  the  nicest  care.  It  was 
a  new  thing ;  and  the  boys  were  not  likely  to  make 
trouble,  if  ever,  until  the  schooner  had  become 
an  old  story.  Hardly  any  of  them  had  ever  seen 
any  livelier  sailing  on  the  lake,  and  half  of  them 
had  hardly  ever  been  in  a  sailboat.  Half  a  dozen 
of  them  were  too  seasick  to  hold  up  their  heads. 
Among  them  was  Pell  Sankland,  and  even  Kidd 
Digfield  was  able  only  with  a  struggle  to  keep 
his  place  in  the  ranks. 

The  government  charts  of  Lake  Champlain  have 
a  scale  on  each  sheet,  in  statute  miles,  nautical 
miles,  and  kilometres.  The  principal  had  taken 
off  the  distance  to  the  point  in  Burlington  Harbor, 
from  the  scale  of  sea-miles.  In  exactly  thirty 
minutes  from  the  departure  from  Cannon's  Point, 
the  Lily  was  abreast  of  the  mark  ;  and  the  dis- 
tance was  six  knots.  The  yacht  had  therefore 
made  her  twelve  knots  an  hour ;  and  the  fact  was 
announced  to  the  ship's  company,  whereat  they 
gave  three  rousing  cheers. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  267 

As  he  had  been  directed  to  do,  the  captain  ran 
the  schooner  behind  the  breakwater.  Tlie  order 
had  been  given  for  the  port-quarter  boat  to  be 
made  ready,  and  her  crew  of  five  were  called 
away.  The  hands  had  learned  how  to  lower  a 
boat,  on  board  of  the  steamer ;  and  the  work  was 
done  properly,  and  to  the  admiration  of  a  crowd 
of  spectators  on  the  steamboat  wharf,  who  had 
run  to  see  the  new  craft. 

The  principal  was  landed,  and  the  boat  returned. 
The  captain  ordered  it  to  be  hoisted  up  at  the 
davits ;  though  Tom  Topover,  who  was  one  of  the 
crew,  grumbled.  It  would  have  to  be  lowered 
again  in  a  few  minutes,  and  what  was  the  use  of 
hoisting  it  up,  he  reasoned. 

But  he  was  hardly  on  deck  before  the  order  was 
given  to  get  up  the  anchor;  and  the  Lily  was  soon 
standing  to  the  northward,  inside  of  the  break- 
water. At  the  lower  beacon,  she  hauled  in  her 
sheets,  and  a  course  to  the  north-north-west  was 
given  out.  The  sea  was  breaking  over  the  top  of 
the  breakwater,  and  outside  of  it  the  lake  was 
decidedly  rough.  At  this  point  the  lake  is  twelve 
miles  wide,  so  that  there  was  room  enough  to  stir 
up  big  waves  for  an  inland  sheet  of  water. 


268  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

'*  We  are  going  off  without  Captain  Gildrock," 
said  Tom  Topover,  after  the  sheets  liad  been  prop- 
erly coiled  up. 

'•Why  shouldn't  we?"  asked  Nim  Splugger,  to 
whom  tlie  remark  had  been  addressed ;  for  he  was 
the  only  one  of  the  remaining  original  Topovers 
who  could  liold  his  head  up,  Kidd  Digfield  having 
just  succumbed  to  the  malady,  after  holding  out  as 
long  as  he  could. 

Nearly  one-half  of  the  ship's  company  were  sea- 
sick, and  Captain  Randolph  had  begun  to  fear 
that  he  might  be  short-handed  before  he  returned 
to  Burlington.  Even  some  of  the  old  students 
were  sick. 

'- 1  think  I  could  manage  this  thing  as  well  as 
Matt  Randolph,"  continued  Tom  Topover,  look- 
ing into  Nim's  face  with  interest.  ''I  know  all 
about  sailing  a  boat  now.  I  have  been  out  twice 
with  Dory  in  the  Goldwing,  and  he  showed  me 
how  to  steer  her." 

'^I  tliink  I  should  ratlier  have  Matt  than  you 
in  command,"  added  Nim.  "I  can  steer,  but  I 
shouldn't  want  to  have  to  manage  a  boat  of  this 
size.'' 

"I  should  like  the  fun  of  it;  and,  if  our  fellows 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  269 

were  as  good  as  they  used  to  be,  I  would  get  hold 
of  her,  and  have  a  cruise  on  our  own  hook,"  said 
Tom.  (And  it  appeared  that  he  had  lost  none  of 
his  former  enterprise,  however  it  might  be  with 
his  late  cronies.)  '^  But  they  have  all  joined  the 
church,  and  there  is  no  more  fun  ahead  for 
us." 

''  Joined  the  church !  "  exclaimed  Nim. 

'^I  mean  old  Gildrock's  church.  They  are  all 
as  proper  as  lambs;  and  the  fun  has  all  gone  out 
of  them,  you  among  the  others,  Nim  Splugger." 

"  I  think  there  is  as  much  fun  in  me  as  there 
ever  was,"  added  Nim. 

"Why  don't  j^ou  show  yoar  colors  then?  You 
are  as  meek  as  Moses." 

"  So  are  you  !  " 

"I  couldn't  do  any  thing  all  alone.  The  fel- 
lows caved  in,  and  did  not  take  any  more  notice 
of  me  than  they  did  of  any  other  fellow,"  growled 
Tom,  who  evidently  believed  that  he  was  born  to 
be  a  great  leader  among  men. 

"It  was  no  use  for  a  fellow  to  bite  his  own 
nose  off,"  Nim  explained,  as  he  and  the  others  had 
done  twenty  times  before  to  Tom,  who  had  always 
been  ready  to  remove  his  nasal  appendage  in  the 


270  ALL   TAUT  ;   OIJ, 

manner  indicated.  ''  If  you  want  to  do  any  thing 
that  is  reasonable,  just  let  the  fellows  know,  and 
you  will  see  where  tliey  stand.  They  have  not 
joined  Captain  Giklrock's  churcli  any  more  than 
you  have."' 

''  I  have  had  a  pretty  good  time  since  I  was 
raked  into  tlie  Industrial  School,  and  I  have  not 
thought  much  about  studying  up  any  thing  in 
the  way  of  fun ;  but  it  is  getting  to  be  a  little 
heavy  on  my  hands  to  be  tied  to  a  bell-rope, 
and  keep  step  with  some  little  lamlj  like  Dory 
Dornwood."" 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  just  as  Tom 
Topover  had  delivered  himself  of  these  sentiments. 
The  first  officer  had  discovered  that  all  the  hands 
stationed  at  the  jib-sheets  were  seasick,  which  was 
a  very  humiliating  state  of  things  to  the  captain, 
and  some  changes  had  l)ecome  necessary  in  the 
station-bills.  Four  hands  were  transferred  from 
the  fore  and  main  sheets  to  the  jib. 

The  Lily  had  the  wind  on  the  beam  ;  and  there 
was  nothing  to  be  done,  till  the  order,  '-Ready, 
about ! "  was  given  off  Point  An  Sable.  Tlie 
schooner  came  about  in  the  liveliest  manner,  and 
stood  for  Burlington  on  the  opposite  tauk.     She 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  271 

was  soon  inside  of  the  breakwater,  and  came  to 
anchor  there.  The  other  quarter-boat  was  sent 
to  the  shore ;  and,  after  waiting  a  short  time,  it 
brought  off  the  principah 

The  deck  had  the  appearance  of  a  hospital-ship 
when  the  principal  came  on  board,  and  he  directed 
the  captain  to  beat  up  Shelburne  Bay.  Under 
the  lee  of  the  point,  where  the  water  was  smooth, 
the  Lily  came  to  anchor,  to  give  the  seasick  ones 
a  rest.  The  cook  and  stewards  had  been  at  work 
getting  dinner,  and  at  twelve  it  was  served  in  the 
cabin.  But  not  many  more  than  half  of  the  stu- 
dents wanted  any  dinner,  and  some  of  them  said 
they  did  not  want  any  more  sailing  on  the  lake. 

The  dinner  was  creditable  to  the  cook,  and  was 
heartily  enjoyed  under  the  novel  circumstances. 
The  seasick  ones  rapidly  recovered,  and  soon 
wanted  something  to  eat.  But  the  sea  continued 
heavy  all  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  the  principal 
changed  his  plan ;  for  he  had  intended  to  make  a 
trip  to  Isle  La  Motte,  and  return  after  dark,  iu 
order  to  give  the  students  a  practical  exemplifi- 
cation of  the  use  of  the  signal-lights,  as  well  as 
of  navigating  by  course  and  compass.  It  hap- 
pened that  this  had  to  be  deferred  till  the  follow- 


272  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

iiig  week ;  for  an  event  oeciirred  at  the  school,  a 
little  later,  which  caused  the  principal  some 
trouble. 

The  Lily  returned  to  her  moorings  early  in  the 
afternoon. 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT,  273 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

TOM  TOPOVER  IN  THE  ASCENDANT  AGAIN. 

rriHE  Lily  was  to  make  another  excursion  on 
^^  the  following  Saturday ;  and  Marian  Dorn- 
wood  and  Lily  Bristol  were  to  be  passengers,  as 
well  as  their  mothers.  The  principal  had  pre- 
dicted the  strong  breeze  which  had  prevailed 
during  the  first  trip,  but  it  was  just  what  was 
desired  for  a  trial  trip.  The  schooner  had  proved 
herself  to  be  a  very  able  sea-boat,  and  had  ex- 
ceeded all  expectations  in  regard  to  her  speed. 
She  was  easily  managed,  and  "  filled  the  bill "  in 
every  respect. 

She  was  entirely  finished  now ;  and,  on  the  fol- 
lowing Monday,  all  hands  went  to  work  in  the 
shops  again,  in  the  afternoon.  Some  of  the  new 
scholars,  who  had  shown  more  taste  for  work  in 
iron  and  brass  than  in  wood,  were  set  to  work 
with  a  file ;  for  this  was  the  first  lesson  given  to 


274  ALL  taut;  or, 

the  machinist.  Among  these  was  Tom  Topover ; 
and  it  was  found,  in  a  few  days,  that,  after  some 
experience,  he  was  the  best  filer  of  the  new-comers. 
His.  eye  proved  to  be  good,  and  the  principal  was 
much  encouraged  in  regard  to  him. 

Since  the  first  vain  efforts  to  get  up  a  rebellion, 
he  had  behaved  very  well ;  and  as  he  was  not 
allowed  to  go  beyond  his  depth,  either  in  the 
schoolroom  or  the  shop,  he  had  appeared  to  be 
quite  satisfied  with  his  condition.  Mr.  Bentnick 
insisted  that  he  was  reformed  and  entirely  recon- 
structed. .Mr.  Brookbine  was  of  the  same  mind. 
But  Captain  Gildrock  shook  his  head,  and  did  not 
believe  it,  though  he  saw  that  the  fellow  was 
Avonderfully  improved. 

'•  He  gives  us  no  trouble  at  all,"  said  Mr. 
Jepson ;  "  and  he  handles  a  file  better  than  any 
new  boy  I  have  had." 

"  Intellectually,  he  is  not  much  of  a  scholar,  and 
he  never  will  be  brilliant  in  his  studies ;  but  he 
learns  his  lessons  a  good  deal  better  than  some  of 
the  brighter  boys,"  added  Mr.  Bentnick ;  ''  I  have 
great  hopes  of  him."' 

''So  have  I,"  added  the  principal:  ''but  he  is 
one  of  the  students  who  is  almost  sure  tu  make 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  275 

a  slip  sooner  or  later,  and  it  will  not  snrprise  me 
at  any  time,  to  find  him  getting  up  a  conspiracy. 
The  trouble  is,  that  he  has  no  high  aim,  —  in  fact, 
no  aim  at  all.  He  is  not  yet  trying  to  be  any 
thing  or  any  body.  He  is  doing  very  well  just 
now,  simply  because  he  is  interested.  He  learns 
his  lessons  because  he  don't  like  to  be  a  prisoner 
in  his  room.  It  will  take  but  a  little  thing  to 
throw  him  off  his  balance." 

''I  think  he  wants  to  be  a  machinist,  and  I 
reckon  he  has  a  fancy  for  running  an  engine,"' 
said  ]\Ir.  Jepson. 

"  If  you  believe  it,  encourage  him  by  all  means. 
The  first  thing  to  be  accomplished  in  his  case,  is 
to  plant  some  kind  of  an  ambition  in  his  being. 
If  he  wants  to  be  an  engineer,  the  desire  is  capa- 
ble of  maldng  a  decent  man  of  him ;  though  I  am 
afraid  he  will  always  be,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree, 
uncertain  and  unreliable." 

Hardly  a  week  passed  without  the  appearance 
at  the  school  of  one  or  more  visitors,  for  it  was  a 
rather  novel  institution.  It  had  been  written  up 
in  the  newspapers,  and  been  the  subject  of  a  dis- 
cussion in  an  educational  meeting.  About  the 
middle  of  the  week  after  the  trial  trip  of  the  Lily, 


'1  (  0  ALL   TAT^T  ;    OR, 

half  a  dozen  gentlemen  came  to  Beecli  Hill,  in  the 
afternoon,  but  not  particularly  to  see  the  workings 
of  the  institution.  They  were  capitalists  who  de- 
sired to  interest  Captain  Gildrock  in  an  enterprise 
in  which  they  were  engaged.  But  when  they  got 
there,  they  were  invited  to  inspect  the  workshops, 
and  look  over  the  grounds.  They  were  pulled  off 
to  the  Lily,  which  was  exhibited  as  a  specimen  of 
the  workmanship  of  the  students. 

They  had  been  so  much  interested  in  what  they 
saw,  and  so  much  absorbed  in  the  business  that 
had  brought  them  to  Beech  Hill,  that  they  re- 
mained till  the  supper-bell  rang.  They  were  in- 
vited to  remain  to  tea,  and  accepted  the  invitation. 
Afterwards  they  went  out  to  Beechwater  to  see 
the  students  in  the  barges,  who  still  practised  with 
tlie  oars  every  evening.  By  this  time  the  rowing 
was  almost  perfect,  even  among  the  new  pupils. 

It  was  getting  dark  when  the  crew  of  the  Wi- 
nooski  came  from  the  boat-house.  In  the  walk, 
Tom  Topover  was  observed  to  pick  up  something; 
but,  as  he  did  not  say  he  had  found  any  thing,  no 
further  notice  was  taken  of  the  fact.  He  went  to 
the  dormitory  with  the  others,  and  a  keen  observer 
might  have  seen  that  he  was  a  good  deal  elated 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  277 

about  something.  But  Tom  was  as  cunning  now 
as  he  had  ever  been,  though  that  is  not  saying 
much.  It  was  a  low  cunning,  and  Tom  believed 
he  was  at  least  ten  times  as  smart  as  anybody  con- 
sidered him  to  be. 

Kidd  Digfield  and  Pell  Sankland  went  to  work 
upon  their  examples  in  arithmetic,  which  related 
to  a  practical  subject;  and  they  were  interested  in 
them.  While  they  were  at  work,  Tom  and  Nim 
Splugger  paid  them  a  visit.  Although  the  bond 
which  bound  them  together  was  not  as  strong  as 
it  had  been,  it  still  existed ;  and  they  associated 
more  with  -each  other  than  with  the  other  stu- 
dents, though  they  were  quite  intimate  with  Bent 
Fillwing  and  Jack  Dumper,  who  were  regarded  as 
two  of  the  hardest  characters  among  the  recruits, 

"  I  am  spoiling  for  a  good  time,"  said  Tom  Top- 
over,  as  he  seated  himself  on  the  bed  in  Kidd's 
room. 

"  What  kind  of  a  time  are  you  spoiling  for  ?  — 
such  a  one  as  we  had  last  Saturday?"  asked 
Kidd,  who  had  been  so  seasick,  that  he  did  not  re- 
member the  trial  trip  with  much  satisfaction. 

"  I  didn't  get^seasick,  and  I  had  a  good  time," 
replied    Tom.     "But  the   thing  was  a  little   too 


278  ALL  taut;  or, 

stiff  for  me.  There  Avas  too  much  officer  about 
the  whole  thing  to  suit  me.  But  I  should  like  to 
take  a  trip  in  the  Lily,  and  have  it  on  our  own 
hook.*' 

"  Do  you  believe  you  could  handle  her  ?  "  asked 
Pell. 

''  I  know  I  could.  I  have  learned  to  steer,  for  I 
had  one  trick  at  the  wheel,  and  I  have  stood  at 
the  helm  on  board  of  the  Sylph." 

"  But  the  steering  is  only  a  small  part  of  hand- 
ling a  boat,"  suggested  Kidd.  "  A  fellow  has  to 
know  what  is  under  water  as  well  as  above  it." 

"I  could  take  that  schooner  up  to  Rouse's 
Point  —  and  that  is  as  far  as  I  ever  went  —  as  well 
as  Captain  Randolph,"  persisted  Tom,  with  a  good 
deal  more  spring  in  his  manner  than  he  had  dis- 
played of  late. 

"I  don't  know  but  you  could,"  added  Kidd, 
turning  to  his  slate. 

"  Tliere  isn't  any  fun  in  you,  Kidd  Digfield, 
since  you  got  into  this  school.  I  l)elieve  you  like 
it  as  well  as  Ash  Burton  and  Sam  Spottwood," 
added  Tom,  with  no  little  disgust  in  his  manner. 
"I  tell  you  I  am  spoiling  for  a  time,  such  a  time 
as  we  used  to  have." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  279 

"  What  sort  of  a  time  ? "  asked  Kidd,  looking 
up  at  him. 

"  A  regular  out-and-out  bender,"  chuckled  Tom, 
showing  more  of  his  mysterious  spring  than  before. 

"I  don't  know  what  you  want  yet,"  replied 
Kidd.     "  Do  you  mean  to  get  into  some  scrape  ?  " 

"  I  don't  believe  that  if  I  got  three  miles  from 
this  concern,  I  should  ever  get  back  again,"  added 
Tom  significantly. 

"Do  you  want  to  run  away?"  asked  Kidd, 
dropping   his   voice. 

"That's  about  the  color  of  it,"  answered  the  ex- 
chief,  with  a  wink. 

"I  don't  think  I  want  to  get  away,"  replied 
Kidd,  turning  to  his  slate  again. 

"I  don't  say  I  shall  run  away,  but  I  do  say  I 
am  going  on  a  time,"  continued  Tom,  in  a  whisper, 
as  though  the  walls  might  have  ears.  "  I  must 
have  some  fun,  even  if  I  have  to  spend  a  week  in 
the  brig  for  it." 

"What  kind  of  a  time?  Why  don't  you  say 
what  you  mean,  and  not  beat  about  the  bush  all 
night,"  demanded  Kidd,  who  was  certainly  filled 
with  curiosity,  even  if  the  memory  of  past  exploits 
with  the  Topovers  did  not  influence  him. 


280  ALT.  taut;  or, 

''And  you  will  go  to  old  Gildrock,  and  tell  him 
all  about  it !  "  exclaimed  Tom. 

''  That's  too  bad,  Tom  I  "  said  Kidd,  springing 
to  his  feet  in  his  excitement.  "  Did  you  ever 
know  me  to  do  such  a  thing?*' 

"  I  never  did ;  but  you  have  become  a  little 
lamb,  and  the  shepherd  leads  you  with  a  silk 
thread.  There  is  no  knowing  what  you  will  do," 
muttered  Tom. 

"  You  ought  to  know  that  I  won't  do  a  mean 
thing,"  returned  Kidd  indignantly.  ''  I  don't  be- 
lieve in  bucking  against  a  stone  wall  as  you  do, 
but  I  am  no  more  of  a  lamb  than  you  are." 

Kidd  certainly  was  not  very  thoroughly  re- 
formed, or  he  would  not  have  so  indignantly 
repelled  the  charge  of  being  a  good  boy.  To  be 
able  to  bear  such  scoffs  and  taunts  was  the  next 
lesson  he  had  to  learn,  and  it  was  a  great  pity  that 
he  had  not  learned  it  sooner.  But  he  could  not 
bear  to  be  reproached  because  he  had  behaved  him- 
self. This  is  the  misfortune  of  any  boy  wlio  has 
earned  a  bad  reputation,  —  that  he  feels  obliged 
to  sustain  his  bad  name. 

''You  never  used  to  do  mean  tilings,  but  since 
you  became  a  little  lamb  "  — 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  281 

"  I  am  not  a  little  lamb  ! ''  protested  Kidcl,  more 
angry  than  he  would  have  been  if  he  had  been 
called  a  thief.  "  I  mean  to  get  along  as  easy  as  I 
can,  and  I  don't  care  about  living  on  bread  and 
butter  and  cold  water.  This  is  a  free  country, 
and  every  fellow  that  wants  to  do  so  can  put  his 
fingers  into  the  fire." 

''Do  you  want  to  have  a  little  fun,  Kidd 
Digfield?  That's  the  question  before  the  house 
just  now,  as  the  nobs  say,"  continued  Tom  Top- 
over,  dropping  his  voice  down  to  a  confidential 
tone. 

"It  depends  upon  what  sort  of  fun  it  is,"  replied 
Kidd.  "  If  you  mean  the  fun  of  being  locked  into 
your  room  for  a  week,  and  be  fed  on  short  rations, 
I  don't  want  any  fun." 

"I  don't  mean  that,  or  any  thing  of  that  kind," 
said  the  ex-chief,"  going  to  the  door,  and  looking 
out  into  the  hall  to  see  if  any  listeners  were  near. 
"  I  mean  some  real  out-and-out  fun,  like  a  sail  by 
ourselves,  a  day  or  two  at  a  hotel,  spending  the 
nights  at  the  theatre,  or  some  such  place." 

"  I  shouldn't  object  to  something  of  that  sort," 
replied  Kidd  5  and  Pell  Sankland  began  to  look 
as  though  he  felt  an  interest  in  the  subject  of  the 


282  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

conversation,  for  he  put  his  shite  on  the  table,  and 
ofave  his  attention  to  the  conversation. 

''  Now  you  begin  to  act  like  yourself,"  added 
Tom  approvingly. 

"But  what's  the  use  of  talking  about  such  a 
time?"  Kidd  objected. 

"  It  takes  money,  and  a  lot  of  it,  to  go  to  a 
hotel  and  the  theatre.  Besides,  there  are  no  thea- 
tres within  twenty  miles  of  Beech  Hill.  " 

"  There  is  one  in  Burlington,  another  in  Platts- 
])urgh,"  returned  Tom.  "  As  to  money,  there  will 
be  enough  of  that." 

"  Enough  of  that  ?  Do  you  mean  that  you  have 
got  any  money?"  demanded  Kidd. 

"  I  don't  mean  to  say  any  thing  about  it,"  added 
the  ex-chief,  who  seemed  to  be  regaining  his  old 
sway  over  his  companions.  "  All  I've  got  to  say 
is,  that  if  you  want  to  have  some  fun  of  the  sort 
I  have  spoken  of,  just  say  the  word,  and  don't  ask 
any  questions."' 

Kidd  raised  some  objections,  and  so  did  Pell ; 
but  Nim  Splugger  appeared  to  have  been  taken 
into  the  confidence  of  the  Topover  in  the  begin- 
ning, for  he  treated  all  that  was  said  as  a  matter 
of  course.      Tom    called    Kidd    and    Pell    '^  little 


iiiGGiNG  thp:  rjoAT.  288 

lambs  "'  a  few  times;  and  this  seemed  to  have  more 
effect  than  any  other  arguments,  albeit  it  was  no 
argument  at  all.  Kidd  and  Pell  did  not  want  to 
yield,  but  they  were  driven  into  submission  by  the 
raillery  of  Tom  and  Nim.  At  nine  o'clock  they 
had  crept  out  of  the  dormitory,  and  found  Bent 
Fillwing  and  Jack  Dumper  at  the  old  wharf. 


284  ALL   TAUT  ;    OK, 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

AN    INDEPENDENT   LEADER. 

MINCE  the  Topovers  and  the  other  hard  boys 
^  had  behaved  themselves  so  well,  all  precau- 
tions were  relaxed :  for  the  principal  knew  that 
barred  windows  were  a  standing  temptation  for 
them  to  escape.  The  students  were  allowed  all 
tlie  liberty  it  was  practicable  to  give  them.  The 
bars  had  been  removed  from  the  windows  of  the 
restless  spirits,  as  soon  as  they  showed  a  spirit  of 
subordination. 

All  the  students  retired  at  whatever  time  they 
pleased,  provided  that  it  was  before  ten  o'clock. 
All  lights  were  to  be  put  out  at  that  hour,  and 
one  of  the  instructors  always  passed  through  the 
halls  of  the  dormitory  at  tliis  time.  The  boys 
were  required  to  lock  their  doors;  and,  when  it  was 
found  that  the  door  was  locked  and  the  light  put 
out,  that  was  sufficient  evidence  that  the  occupant 
of  the  room  had  gone  to  bed. 


RIGGING    THE    HOAT.  285 

Tom  Topover  had  instructed  his  gang  to  lock 
their  doors,  and  put  the  keys  in  their  pockets.  If 
they  succeeded  in  reaching  the  old  wharf,  which 
was  the  place  appointed,  without  being  seen,  they 
would  be  safe.  They  passed  out  of  the  dormitory 
one  at  a  time,  and  crept  very  cautiously  to  the 
meeting-place. 

It  was  evident  that  Tom  had  opened  the  subject 
to  Bent  Fillwing  and  Jack  Dumper  before  he  said 
any  thing  to  his  former  comrades.  But  he  was 
careful  not  to  say  a  word  of  the  details  of  his  plan 
to  any  one.  He  had  caught  this  idea  from  the 
principal,  and  the  officers  of  the  steamer.  They 
never  said  what  they  were  going  to  do,  and  alwa3^s 
insisted  on  blind  obedience.  He  had  followed 
their  example,  as  well  for  the  sake  of  prudence  as 
in  order  to  preserve  his  power  over  his  compan- 
ions. He  believed  in  "  sealed  orders,"'  and  he 
kept  his  own  counsel. 

Nim  Splugger  had  entered  readily  into  the  spirit 
of  the  enterprise,  whatever  it  might  prove  to  be ; 
but  Kidd  and  Pell  were  sorry  a  dozen  times  before 
they  reached  the  old  wharf.  They  would  have 
turned  back,  if  they  had  learned  to  bear  the  ridi- 
cule of  Tom  and  Nim. 


286  ALL   TAUT  ;   OE, 

*'  Now  wliat  is  all  this  al)Out,  Tom  ? "  asked 
Bent  Filhving,  who  had  been  the  terror  of  the 
town  in  which  he  lived  before  he  came  to  Beech 
Hill. 

''  You  will  find  out  all  about  it  in  due  time,*' 
replied  Tom. 

''  But  I  want  to  to  find  out  now,"  Bent  in- 
sisted. 

'^1  can't  tell  yon  a  thing  now.  All  you  have 
to  do  is  to  obey  orders,"  replied  Tom  serenely,  as 
though  he  believed  it  was  all  right, 

''Obey  orders?  Whose  orders?"  asked  Bent, 
with  an  obvious  sneer. 

'•Mine,  of  course.  1  got  this  thing  up;  and  I 
am  going  to  see  it  through,  whatever  it  costs." 

"  Oh,  you  are  I  "  snuffed  Bent.  ''  But  I  prefer  to 
know  something  more  about  it  before  I  go  any 
farther." 

'•  Not  a  thing  1  "  exclaimed  Tom.  ''  If  you  don't 
want  to  join,  you  can  go  back  to  your  room  and 
study  your  lessons.  I  have  had  lessons  enough 
for  a  while,  and  J  don't  believe  old  Gildrock  will 
see  me  again  very  soon.  1  am  a  free  man  !  "  blus- 
tered Tom, 

"  Do  you  expect  us  tu  follow  your  lead  without 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  281 

knowing  where  we  are  going,  or  wLtit  we  are  to 
do?"  demanded  Bent,  rather  sharply. 

*'  I  have  said  enough  to  let  you  know  that  we 
are  to  take  a  sail,  that  we  are  going  to  a  hotel, 
and  that  we  shall  go  to  the  theatre  or  the  circus, 
if  we  can  find  one.  I  saw  some  big  bills,  with 
colored  pictures,  on  the  fences  near  the  wharf  in 
Burlington ;  and  I  guess  there  is  a  circus  some- 
where in  these  parts." 

"  That's  all  very  well,  but  we  don't  know  that 
you  can  do  all  you  say  you  can,"'  replied  Bent, 
moved  by  the  bill  of  fare  which  their  leader  held 
out  to  them. 

"I  can  do  all  that,  and  a  great  deal  more," 
answered  Tom,  chuckling,  and  with  an  air  of  con- 
fidence which  seemed  to  have  its  influence  upon 
his  companions. 

''  It  takes  money  to  go  to  a  hotel,  or  to  get  into 
a  theatre  or  a  circus,"  continued  Bent ;  and  not 
one  of  the  party  had  ever  been  any  nearer  to  an 
equestrian  performance  than  the  outside  of  the 
canvas. 

''I  know  that  as  well  as  you  do,"  replied  Tom, 
as  he  put  one  of  his  hands  into  his  trousers- 
pocket,  as  if  to  emphasize  his  remark. 


288  ALL   TAUT  ;   OK, 

'^  If  you  have  got  any  money,  say  so,  and  tell 
us  how  much  you  have,"  said  Jack  Dumper. 
^'What's  the  use  of  being  so  secret?  It  don't  do 
any  good." 

'•  Do  you  suppose  I  am  going  to  have  any  one 
of  you  fellows  that  gets  mad,  running  back  to  old 
Gildrock,  and  telling  him  what  I  have  got  in  my 
trousers-pocket,  where  we  are  going,  and  what 
we  are  going  to  do?  Not  if  I  know  myself.  And 
Tom  Topover  thinks  he  knows  himself  better  than 
any  other  fellow  knows  him.  That's  the  whole 
of  it.  I  won't  trust  you  any  farther  than  I  have 
said;  and  you  can  all  go  back  if  you  like,  and  I 
will  carry  out  the  plan  myself,  without  any  help 
from  any  of  you.  I  can  get  along  well  enough 
alone,  and  I  know  where  to  go  and  wliat  to  do." 

This  independence  was  too  much  for  the  rest 
of  them  ;  and,  though  Bent  growled,  he  submitted. 
They  were  all  sure  by  this  time  that  the  chief 
liad  plenty  of  money,  and  they  wondered  with  all 
their  mio-ht  where  he  had  obtained  it.     There  was 

o 

no  report  of  any  theft  about  Beech  Hill,  and  most 
of  the  boys  never  left  tlie  grounds  except  in  tlie 
boats. 

''  I  don't  like  this  way  of  doing  it,  but  I  hate 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  280 

to  back  out,"  said  Bent,  when  Tom  had  delivered 
himself,  in  full,  of  his  opinions  and  intentions. 
"  The  fairest  thing  would  be  to  tell  what  you  are 
going  to  do,  Tom ;  and  then  the  fellows  can't  find 
any  fault  if  things  go  wrong." 

"  The  fellows  may  find  fault  if  they  like :  what 
do  I  care  for  that  ?  If  I  find  the  money  and  the 
brains  for  the  scrape,  I  ought  to  have  the  manage- 
ment of  the  thing." 

"Nobody  objects  to  your  managing  it,"  said 
Jack  Dumper.  "But  we  should  like  to  know 
what  you  are  going  to  do." 

"  You  won't  know  from  me,"  replied  Tom  dog- 
gedly. "  If  any  fellow  wants  to  back  out,  now  is 
the  time  for  him  to  make  tracks." 

Kidd  and  Pell  were  tempted  to  accept  the  in- 
vitation. 

"  I  don't  want  any  little  lambs  with  me,"  added 
Tom;  and  this  remark  upset  the  two  penitents, 
and  they  had  not  the  pluck  to  retire  from  the 
enterprise. 

Tom  Topover  continued  to  talk  for  some  time 
longer  in  a  low  tone,  so  that  no  one  who  happened 
to  be  out  could  hear  him.  He  was  waiting  for 
the  timid  ones  to  withdraw,  but  no  one  did  so. 


290  ALL  taut;  or, 

The  good  time  promised  influenced  Bent  and 
Jack,  while  the  fear  of  ridicule  upset  the  good 
intentions  of  Kidd  and  Pell.  It  was  evident 
enough  that  Tom  intended  to  take  one  of  the 
boats ;  and  it  must  be  one  of  the  sailboats,  for  all 
the  barges  and  rowboats  were  locked  up  in  the 
boathouse. 

But  at  the  old  wharf  there  was  a  skiff,  which 
was  used  when  the  Goldwing  was  to  be  brought 
in  for  a  party.  It  was  not  large  enough  to  accom- 
modate more  than  three  with  safety,  and  Tom 
divided  his  forces  for  the  trip.  It  was  not  till 
after  ten  that  he  did  this,  and  the  lights  were  all 
put  out  in  the  dormitory.  Even  the  mansion  w^as 
shrouded  in  darkness;  for  all  the  people  in  it  were 
early  risers,  and  had  retired  before  this  time.  It 
was  clear  that  the  absent  ones  had  not  been 
missed  at  the  dormitory. 

Tom  sent  Nim  back  for  the  three  who  had  been 
left  on  shore ;  for  he  would  not  trust  either  Kidd 
or  Pell,  lest  they  should  back  out  and  give  the* 
alarm.  He  could  control  them  while  they  were 
in  his  presence,  but  he  was  afraid  of  them  if  they 
were  out  of  sight.  The  messenger  could  bring 
only  two  of  them,  and  he  went  a  second  time  for 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  291 

the  last  one,  wlio  happened  to  be  Bent  Fill  wing. 
To  the  surprise  of  this  worthy,  he  found  that  the 
leader  had  taken  possession  of  the  Lily,  instead 
of  the  Goldwing,  which  he  supposed  would  be  the 
one  selected.  He  objected  with  all  his  might  to 
the  selection. 

"This  is  the  stupidest  thing  you  ever  did  in 
your  life,  Tom  Topover  I  "  he  exclaimed,  when  he 
met  the  commander  of  the  expedition  on  the 
forward  deck  of  the   schooner. 

"  What  is  ?  "  asked  Tom  coolly. 

"To  take  the  Lily  when  there  are  only  six  of 
us,"  repeated  Bent,  rounding  up  fully  the  expres- 
sion of  his  wonder  at  the  folly  of  the  leader. 
"What  are  you  going  to  do  in  this  big  boat?  " 

"The  fun  of  sailing  her  is  half  what  the  trip 
is  for,"  added  Tom.  "If  you  don't  want  to  go  in 
the  Lily,  there  is  the  skiff,  and  you  know  the  way 
to  the  shore.  I  don't  want  you,  if  you  won't  take 
things  as  they  come  and  quit  grumbling.  I  am 
going  to  do  all  the  grumbling  myself."' 

"  You  always  do  it  all,  and  it  is  not  fair  to  give 
the  other  fellows  no  chance  at  all,"  replied  Bent, 
struggling  to  be  as  facetious  as  the  chief.  ''It 
took  thirty-two  of  us  to  handle  her  last  Saturday ; 


292  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

and  six  of  us  have  no  show,  and  in  tlic  night  too. 
How  are  you  going  to  get  through  the  outlet  with 
her?  You  are  no  pilot,  and  Dory  Dornwood  is 
fast  asleep  by  this  time.' 

"I  can  take  her  tlu'ough  as  well  as  Dory.  I 
don't  want  any  more  growling.  If  you  are  not 
satisfied,  Bent,  go  ashore,  wrap  yourselves  up  in 
your  wool  and  go  to  sleep.  I  am  the  captain  of 
this  ship." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  I  " 

*'  I  know  I  am.  Did  you  hear  any  fellow  growl- 
ing to  Matt  Randolph  last  Saturday?  " 

''  He  had  the  principal  behind  him.  Besides, 
some  of  the  fellows  will  get  seasick,  and  then  who 
will  handle  this  big  schooner.  I  move  you  put  it 
to  vote,  whether  we  go  in  the  Goldwing  or  the 
Lily,"  continued  Bent,  suddenly  assuming  a  pleas- 
ant tone. 

"  I  don't  care  how  you  vote,  or  what  you  want 
to  do.  I  am  going  in  the  Lily,  and  an}-  fellow 
who  don't  want  to  go  with  me  can  go  on  shore, 
and  go  to  bed,"  said  Tom  decisively. 

That  settled  the  question.  Tom  did  not  hear 
the  remarks  the  principal  made  to  the  captain  of 
the  schooner,  in  regard  to  taking  risks ;  but  he  de- 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  'Z\)6 

termined  to  run  no  needless  risk  on  the  present 
occasion.  Though  everybody  appeared  to  be  asleep 
at  Beech  Hill,  Captain  Gildrock  might  be  wander- 
ing about  the  estate ;  for  he  was  a  man  who  was 
very  likely  to  turn  up  unexpectedly  when  any 
mischief  was  in  progress.  Tom  waited  till  he 
heard  the  town-clocks  strike  eleven.  It  was  safe 
then,  in  his  opinion,  to  proceed. 

The  leader  of  the  Topovers  had  certainly  learned 
a  great  deal  since  he  had  been  a  pupil  at  Beech 
Hill.  The  principal,  to  encourage  him  when  he 
appeared  to  be  doing  well,  had  humored  him  a 
good  deal.  He  had  steered  the  steamer  and  the 
Goldwing,  and  could  handle  a  sailboat  about  as 
well  as  the  average  boy  who  did  not  pretend  to  be 
a  boatman. 

The  moorings  of  the  Lily  were  so  near  the  dor- 
mitory and  the  stables,  that  Tom  was  afraid  to 
hoist  the  fore  and  main  sail  of  the  schooner,  lest 
any  noise  should  be  heard  on  shore.  The  old 
quartermaster  had  a  room  over  the  carriage-house, 
and  he  slept  with  one  eye  open.  The  moorings 
were  cast  off  into  the  skiff,  and  the  Lily  was  al- 
lowed to  float  on  the  current.  It  took  her  a  long 
time  to  get  to  the  outlet.     With  all  his  boasted 


294  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

skill,  Tom  was  afraid  to  sail  the  schooner  through 
the  outlet  iu  the  darkness. 

He  rigged  a  pair  of  large  oars  in  the  fore-rig- 
ging, and  put  his  crew  on  the  handles.  They  ob- 
tained headway  enough  to  give  her  steerage-way, 
and  the  pilot  had  no  trouble  in  keeping  the  Lily 
in  the  middle  of  the  stream.  With  no  little  diffi- 
culty, and  a  great  deal  of  jaw,  the  sails  were  set, 
and  the  schooner  stood  down  the  river. 

The  wind  was  light;  but  in  half  an  hour  she 
passed  into  the  lake,  and  Tom  headed  her  to  the 
north. 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  295 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

A   SLEEPY   ship's  COMPANY. 

npHE  wind  was  from  the  west,  and  there  was 
but  little  of  it.  Tom  knew  a  great  deal 
more  about  sailing  a  boat  than  when  he  tried  to 
handle  the  Goldwing ;  and  he  trimmed  the  sails  on 
the  port-tack  so  that  the  schooner  went  along  very 
well,  though  she  was  making  not  more  than  two 
knots  an  hour.  It  was  very  dark,  and  the  gloom 
of  the  night  was  rather  trying  to  the  new  skipper. 
But  he  could  see  the  light  on  Split  Rock  Point, 
and  steered  for  that. 

It  was  very  quiet  on  the  lake  at  midnight,  for 
there  was  nothing  to  create  a  particle  of  excite- 
ment. There  was  nothing  to  be  done  to  the  sails ; 
for  Tom  could  hardly  see  them,  and  he  was  not 
skilful  enough  to  know  their  condition  from  the 
feeling.  He  had  sent  Kidd  Digfield  and  Pell 
Sankland   to   the   forecastle   to   keep   a  lookout, 


296  ALL    TAUT  ;    OK, 

while  the  other  four  remained  in  the  standing- 
room  with  the  chief. 

Tom  had  hardly  laid  a  course  before  liis  com- 
panions began  to  gape  and  yawn.  Not  one  of 
them  was  accustomed  to  being  up  at  so  late  an 
hour  ;  and  all  of  them  had  done  a  day's  work  in  the 
shop,  and  pulled  the  Winooski  for  an  hour  after 
supper.  They  were  tired  ;  and,  when  the  first  ex- 
citement of  Tom's  scheme  had  died  out,  they 
began  to  wish  they  were  in  bed  in  their  rooms. 

The  lookout  on  the  forecastle  were  troubled  in 
the  same  way.  There  was  nothing  to  do,  and 
little  to  think  about.  The  leader's  sealed  orders 
did  not  permit  any  play  of  the  imagination ;  and 
what  the  day  would  bring  forth  they  could  not 
imagine,  even  if  every  thing  worked  as  Tom  ex- 
pected. Kidd  gaped,  and  Pell  gaped.  They  found 
the  softest  places  on  deck,  and  stretched  them- 
selves out.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were  both  fast 
asleep. 

With  the  wheel  in  his  hands,  Tom  had  enough 
to  keep  him  awake  for  a  time.  Bent  Fillwing  had 
not  a  great  deal  of  confidence  in  the  seamanship 
of  the  skipper,  and  he  kept  watch  of  the  course  of 
the  boat.     But,  with  the  light  ahead,  it  was  not 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  297 

easy  for  him  to  go  wrong ;  for  there  were  no  islands 
or  dangerous  places  in  the  course. 

"Are  we  all  to  sit  up  all  night,  Tom?"  asked 
Bent,  when  he  had  nearly  dislocated  his  jaws 
with  gaping.  "  Some  of  us  might  as  well  go  to 
bed,  and  sleep  till  morning." 

"I  guess  not,"  replied  Tom.  "  Do  you  want  to 
leave  me  alone  on  deck  ?  " 

"  Why  can't  we  have  watches,  just  as  we  had 
on  the  trial  trip?"  asked  Bent,  gaping  again. 

"  All  right.  In  that  case  we  shall  want  a  mate, 
and  I  appoint  Nim  Splugger.  I  will  keep  the 
other  watch  myself." 

If  Bent  had  not  been  rather  more  than  half 
asleep,  he  might  have  rebelled  at  this  selection ; 
for  Nim  was  generally  regarded  as  one  of  the 
poorest  sailors  in  the  crew.  But  he  made  no  ob- 
jection; though  Nim,  conscious  of  his  lack  of 
ability,  declined  the  position.  He  did  not  feel 
competent  to  take  charge  of  the  vessel  in  the  ab- 
sence of  the  skipper.  He  whispered  his  thought 
to  Tom,  and  suggested  that  he  should  appoint 
Bent  to  the  position. 

"  I  won't  do  it  I  "  exclaimed  Tom  decidedly. 

"Won't  do  what?"  demanded  Bent,  who  heard 


298  ALL  TAUT  ;  on, 

this  answer,  though  he  had  not  heard  Nim's  sug- 
gestion. 

The  skipper  made  no  reply,  but  he  insisted  that 
Nim  would  do  very  well,  and  must  be  mate, 
whether  he  were  willing  or  not.  Bent  Fillwing 
had  a  mind  of  his  own,  and  he  was  disposed  to 
resist  the  authority  of  the  leader  sometimes.  Tom 
was  afraid  to  make  him  his  second  in  command. 
He  feared  that  Kidd  and  Pell  might  be  weak 
when  he  needed  their  support,  and  he  could  not 
depend  upon  them.  Jack  Dumper  was  about  the 
same  sort  of  a  cipher  as  Nim. 

"If  Nim  is  to  be  mate,  let  us  have  the  crew 
divided  into  watches,"  said  Bent  impatiently,  and 
with  a  succession  of  yawns. 

"  I  choose  Jack  Dumper,"  added  Tom. 

"  I  take  Bent  Fillwing,"  continued  Nim,  sub- 
mitting to  the  greatness  thrust  upon  him. 

"Pell  Sankland,''  said  the  captain. 

"Kidd  Diggfield,"  followed  the  mate,  taking 
the  last. 

"  According  to  rule,  the  captain's  watch  has  the 
deck,  and  the  port-watch  can  turn  in,"  continued 
Bent,  rising  from  liis  seat.  "We  are  to  sleep  for 
the  next  four  hours.  You  will  call  us  at  four  in 
the  morning,  Tom." 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  299 

"  I  shall  call  you  when  I  want  you,"  said  Tom 
sharply;  for  Bent  talked  as  though  he  were  the 
skipper,  and  he  damaged  the  dignity  of  the  cap- 
tain. 

''  By  that  time  you  can  hear  the  church-clocks 
at  Burlington,  and  you  will  know  when  it  is  foar 
o'clock.  Now,  Nim,  go  forward,  and  call  Kidd 
Digfield. 

"  Go  3^ourself,  Bent,"  interposed  Tom,  who 
thought  the  speaker  was  giving  off  orders  as 
though  he  thought  he  was  the  captain. 

But  Nim  was  not  injured  by  the  words  of  his 
subordinate,  and  he  went  forward.  He  roused 
the  sleepers,  and  informed  them  that  they  were 
divided  into  watches,  and  Kidd  could  turn  in. 
He  was  glad  enough  to  do  so,  and  he  followed  the 
mate  to  the  cabin.  This  apartment  was  a  good- 
sized  room,  and  contained  four  berths.  They 
were  all  furnished ;  and  every  thing  on  board  was 
in  place,  as  though  she  had  been  prepared  for  a 
long  voyage.  There  was  a  lantern  hanging  to  a 
beam,  which  Bent  lighted.  Without  a  moment's 
delay  they  turned  in,  and  were  soon  asleep. 

Pell  Sankland  wished  he  had  been  in  the  star- 
board-watch, but  it  was  all  the  same  to  him.     He 


300  ALL    TAUT;    OK, 

turned  over  and  went  to  sleep  again ^  as  soon  as 
Kidd  had  gone  below.  Jack  Dumper  had  reclined 
on  the  cushioned  seats  of  the  standing-room,  and 
he  was  asleep  almost  as  soon  as  the  lookout  on 
the  forecastle. 

Tom  Topover  had  an  imagination,  coarse  and 
low  as  it  was ;  and  its  wings  were  not  clipped  by 
the  secrecy  which  limited  the  thoughts  of  his 
companions.  The  Lily  passed  Split  Rock  Light, 
and  the  lake  was  wider  than  below  this  point. 
The  wind  freshened  a  little,  and  the  schooner 
increased  her  speed. 

Tom  did  not  feel  quite  as  much  at  home  as  he 
had  before.  The  gloom  of  the  night  vexed  him, 
and  the  water  looked  black.  He  had  never  been 
a  close  observer  of  the  lake ;  but  he  knew  that 
there  were  islands  between  the  mouth  of  Beaver 
River  and  Burlington,  and  it  would  not  be  a  diffi- 
cult matter  to  run  over  them.  He  had  never 
sailed  at  night  before,  and  knew  nothing  of  the 
position  of  the  lights,  except  the  one  on  Split 
Rock  Point.  He  could  see  another  ahead,  just 
as  far  as  he  could  see  at  all ;  but  he  had  forgotten 
where  it  was,  if  he  had  ever  known. 

The  skipper  was  troubled,  and  spoke  to  Jack 


RIGGING    THE   BOAT.  301 

Dumper;  but  the  fellow  was  fast  asleep.  He  stood 
up,  and  looked  ahead  to  see  if  there  were  any 
obstructions  in  his  course.  He  could  see  nothing, 
but  he  lacked  confidence.  He  thought  of  calling 
Bent,  for  he  knew  more  about  the  lake  than  any 
other  fellow  on  board ;  but  he  could  not  ask  for 
help  from  one  who  aspired  to  power.  In  spite  of 
himself  and  the  perplexity  of  his  position,  he 
began  to  gape  and  yawn.  He  was  so  sleepy  he 
could  hardly  keep  his  eyes  open,  and  something 
must  be  done. 

Taking  Jack  Dumper  by  the  collar,  he  dragged 
him  ofP  the  cushions  before  he  could  get  a  word 
out  of  him.  His  watch-mate  knew  less  than  the 
skipper  about  the  lake.  He  could  not  tell  any 
thing  about  the  islands.  He  sent  him  forward 
to  ask  Pell.  The  lookout  was  roused  with  diffi- 
culty ;  and,  when  he  was  awake,  he  was  so  heavy 
that  he  could  not  remember  that  there  was  a  sin- 
gle island  in  the  lake.  Tom  rated  both  of  his 
watch-mates  for  going  to  sleep ;  and,  putting  the 
helm  down,  he  directed  them  to  haul  in  the 
sheets.  They  knew  how  to  do  this,  and  it  was 
done. 

The  skipper  could  keep  his  eyes  open  no  longer, 


302  ALL  TAUT;   OR, 

and  he  dropped  asleep  once  at  the  wheeL  But 
the  shaking  of  the  sails  waked  him  in  a  minute. 
He  had  headed  the  Lily  for  Cannon's  Point,  where 
she  had  anchored  on  Saturday.  He  called  on  his 
watch  to  haul  down  the  jib  and  let  go  the  anchor. 
The  wind  was  light,  and  he  did  not  lower  the 
other  sails.  He  dismissed  the  watch,  and  they  all 
went  below.  Tom  took  the  remaining  berth,  and 
his  two  companions  laid  down  on  a  divan.  They 
were  asleep  as  soon  as  they  had  stretched  them- 
selves out. 

When  the  sun  rose,  it  brought  up  a  breeze  with 
it  from  the  south-west.  The  sails  which  had  been 
left  in  a  very  unseamanlike  condition,  began  to 
rattle  and  bang.  They  filled,  and  the  schooner 
forged  ahead  until  she  was  brought  up  by  her 
anchor.  Then  the  sails  went  over,  and  filled  on 
the  other  tack ;  and  the  racket  was  repeated.  As 
the  wind  increased  in  force,  the  noise  and  shaking 
increased,  until  even  the  heavy  sleepers  in  the 
cabin  were  disturbed.  Bent  Filhvincr  was  the  first 
to  wake.  He  rushed  to  the  companion-way,  and 
took  a  look  at  things  on  deck. 

The  schooner  was  at  anchor,  and  the  jib  was 
hauled  down.     He  returned  to  the  cabin,  and  saw 


EIGGING   THE   BOAT.  303 

Tom  fast  asleep  in  his  bertli.  Tlie  rest  of  the 
starboard-watch  were  snoring  on  the  divan.  At 
this  moment  the  wind  filled  the  fore  and  main 
sails,  and  the  yacht  heeled  over  till  Bent  could 
hardly  stand  up. 

"  Tom  Topover  I  "  he  shouted  at  the  top  of  his 
lungs.     "  You  are  a  pretty  captain  I  '* 

"What^s  the  matter,  Bent?"  asked  Tom, 
straightening  himself  up  in  his  berth. 

"  Nothing  yet,  but  something  will  soon  be  the 
matter.  Is  this  the  way  3'ou  sail  the  schooner? 
You  are  a  pretty  captain,  to  turn  in  and  leave  the 
Lily  to  take  care  of  herself !  "  raved  Bent,  indig- 
nant at  the  conduct  of  the  captain. 

''  Hold  your  jaw.  Bent  Fillwing,  or  I  will  bat 
you  over  the  head !  "  returned  Tom,  as  soon  as 
he  came  to  the  consciousness  that  he  was  the 
captain  of  the  schooner,  and  that  one  of  the  crew 
was  scolding  at  him.  "  Go  on  deck,  and  lower 
the  sails ! " 

"  Low^er  the  sails  I  Are  you  going  to  stay  here 
all  day?  It  is  sunrise  now,  and  we  ought  to 
be  down  to  Plattsburgh  by  this  time,"  replied 
Bent. 

"  I  am  captain  of  this  craft,  and  you  will  obe}' 


304  ALL   TAUT  -,    OK, 

orders,"  added   Tom,   as   he    turned   over  in  his 
berth,  as  if  he  intended  to  go  to  sleep  again. 

The  racket  on  board  had  aroused  Pell  Sankland 
and  Kidd  Digfield.  Bent  told  them  to  follow  him, 
and  he  went  on  deck.  They  were  surprised,  as 
Bent  had  been,  to  find  the  schooner  at  anchor 
under  the  lee  of  Cannon's  Point.  Without  losing 
any  time,  and  without  regard  to  the  orders  of  the 
sleepy  captain,  they  got  up  the  anchor,  hoisted  the 
jib,  and  the  Lily  stood  away  from  her  anchorage. 

Bent  put  Kidd  Digfield  at  the  wheel,  and  then 
went  into  the  cabin  to  ''have  it  out"  with  the 
captain.  Though  he  had  learned  all  about  nauti- 
cal obedience  on  board  of  the  Sylph,  he  was  not 
inclined  to  practise  it  on  the  present  occasion.  In 
fact,  he  was  disposed  to  be  a  rebel,  and  to  bring 
the  captain  to  a  sense  of  duty.  He  went  to  Tom's 
berth.     The  chief  Topover  was  fast  asleep. 

The  skipper  had  settled  on  his  back,  with  his 
arms  spread  out.  Bent  was  on  the  point  of  taking 
him  by  the  collar,  to  bring  him  to  a  sense  of  duty, 
—  for  he  had  lost  all  his  respect  for  the  dignity  of 
the  office,  since  the  incumbent  had  abandoned  his 
post,  —  when  he  saw  something  protruding  from 
the  vest-pocket  of  the  sleeper. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  305 

It  looked  like  a  roll  of  bank-bills.  Without 
disturbing  the  unconscious  skipper,  he  laid  hands 
upon  it,  and  adroitly  secured  possession  of  it.  He 
did  not  wait  to  have  it  out  with  Tom.  As  he  had 
supposed  when  he  first  saw  it,  the  object  was  a 
roll  of  bills.  With  his  prize,  Bent  went  on  deck 
again. 


306  ALL  TAUT  ;   OR, 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

STEALING  A  MARCH  UPON  THE  LEADER. 

TDENT  FILLWING  took  the  roll  of  bills  from 
-*-^  his  pocket  as  he  halted  on  the  forecastle.  He 
had  possessed  himself  of  the  principal  secret  of 
Tom  Topover,  and  he  felt  that  he  was  in  condi- 
tion to  dictate  to  his  superior  if  he  was  disposed 
to  do  so.  He  realized  that  Tom  was  not  compe- 
tent to  manage  the  schooner,  and  he  had  his 
doubts  about  his  own  ability. 

He  opened  the  roll  of  bills.  The  first  one  he 
saw  was  a  ten.  So  was  the  next  one,  and  it  soon 
appeared  that  tlie  roll  of  bills  were  all  of  this 
denomination.  There  were  six  of  them,  and  the 
amount  was  sixty  dollars.  It  was  a  large  sum  of 
money  for  a  boy  to  have,  and  he  wondered  where 
Tom  had  obtained  it.  But  it  did  not  much  mat- 
ter to  him,  so  far  as  the  moral  question  was  con- 
cerned. The  Topover  must  have  stolen  the  money, 
for  he  had  no  way  to  obtain  it  honestly. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  307 

But  Tom  had  not  been  off  the  estate  except  in 
the  boats ;  and,  so  far  as  Bent  had  seen,  there  was 
no  money  left  there  so  that  it  could  be  stolen. 

It  was  possible  that  he  had  robbed  the  room  of 
some  teacher  or  other  person.  When  the  loss  was 
discovered,  there  would  be  a  tremendous  tempest 
at  Beech  Hill.  The  absence  of  the  Lily  would 
be  discovered  about  the  same  time,  and  the  roll 
would  be  called.  They  were  sure  to  be  caught. 
There  was  no  end  of  circus  and  theatre  in  the 
sum  of  sixty  dollars,  to  say  nothing  of  what  might 
be  bought  at  the  stores,  or  obtained  at  the  hotels. 

But  the  risk  was  tremendous.  Captain  Gild- 
rock  would  be  up  by  this  time.  It  would  be 
natural  enough  for  him  to  discover  the  loss  of  the 
Lily,  when  he  took  his  first  look  at  Beechwater. 
Taking  the  boat  was  one  thing,  but  stealing  the 
sixty  dollars  w^as  another  thing,  and  the  principal 
might  resort  to  a  court  to  settle  the  matter.  The 
schooner  was  within  four  miles  of  Beech  Hill,  and 
many  hours  of  the  night  had  been  wasted. 

Bent  was  full  of  doubts,  and  he  cast  anxious 
glances  up  and  down  the  lake  to  see  if  the  Sylph 
or  the  Goldwing  was  not  in  pursuit  of  them.  The 
wind  was  fresh,  but  not  as  strong  as  it  had  been 


308  ALL   TAUT;    OE, 

on  Saturday.  He  could  not  expect  to  escape  the 
steamer,  and  hardly  the  Goldwing,  with  her  skil- 
ful skipper  at  the  helm.  He  wished  he  was  out 
of  the  scrape,  not  on  moral  considerations,  but 
because  the  risk  was  so  great.  Putting  the  money 
in  his  pocket,  he  went  aft,  and  seated  himself  in 
the  standing-room. 

He  looked  at  Kidd  and  Pell.  They  did  not 
appear  at  all  as  though  they  were  having  a  good 
time.  When  he  thought  of  the  promised  fun 
ahead,  the  theatre  and  the  circus,  he  could  not 
help  seeing  that  any  enjoyment,  if  there  was  any 
ahead,  was  to  be  purchased  at  the  price  of  sub- 
mission to  Tom  Topover.  He  was  carrying  it  with 
a  lordly  sway,  and  sailed  under  "  sealed  orders." 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  any  fun  aliead  for  us, 
Kidd?"  he  asked,  after  he  had  thought  of  the  sit- 
uation for  a  while. 

"  I  don't  see  any.  I  supposed  we  should  be  off 
Plattsburgh,  or  a  good  way  farther  north  than  we 
are ;  and  it  looks  more  as  though  we  should  be 
caught  than  that  we  should  have  a  time,"  replied 
Kidd. 

"  We  have  nothing  to  eat  on  board,"  added 
Pell.     "  There   may  be   some   crackers,  or  some- 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  309 

thing  of  that  sort ;  but  we  shall  get  no  breakfast 
unless  we  land  at  Burlington." 

"How  do  3'ou  know  Tom  will  let  us  land  at 
Burlington  ?  "  asked  Kidd.  ''  I  know  he  didn't 
mean  to  stop  there,  for  we  are  all  too  well  known 
in  the  city." 

"  If  we  want  to  land  there,  we  can  do  so ;  for  we 
are  half  of  the  party,  and  we  are  as  good  as  the 
other  half,"  replied  Bent. 

"We  haven't  any  money  to  get  a  breakfast,  if 
we  should  land  while  Tom  is  asleep,"  added  Pell. 
"  It  will  be  a  starving  time,  and  I  am  sick  of  it. 
I  didn't  want  to  come,  and  I  am  sorry  now  that 
Tom  beat  me  into  it." 

"  I  have  been  sorry  I  came,  ever  since  I  got  into 
the  skiff.  Tom  never  used  to  be  so  topping,  and 
now  he  treats  us  as  though  we  were  his  slaves." 

"  Precisely  so  ;  and,  as  3^ou  say,  I  have  had  about 
enough  of  it,"  said  Bent.  "I  expect  to  see  the 
Sylph  or  the  Gold  wing  after  us  before  we  can  get 
to  Burlington,  if  we  are  going  there;"  and  Bent 
looked  up  the  lake  again. 

"  We  can't  get  any  thing  to  eat  short  of  Bur- 
lington, and,  after  that,  nothing  till  we  can  get  to 
Plattsburgh,"   continued    Pell.      "  I    know   Tom 


310  ALL   TAUT;   OR, 

won't  let  us  go  ashore  at  Burlington ;  so  that  we 
are  not  likely  to  get  any  thing  to  eat  till  noon,  if 
we  are  not  caught  before  that  time.  Tom  has  the 
money,  and  he  can  starve  us  if  we  don't  mind 
him." 

Bent  Fillwing  pulled  the  roll  of  bills  from  his 
pocket,  and  held  it  up  before  his  companions. 
He  explained  how  he  had  obtained  it;  and,  for 
some  little  time,  they  wondered  where  Tom  got 
the  money. 

"  Now,  fellows,  there  are  only  two  things  that 
we  can  do,"  said  Bent,  who  had  evidently  come  to 
a  conclusion.  "  We  have  money  enough  to  buy  a 
breakfast  in  Burlington  ;  but  we  wear  a  uniform, 
and  everybody  will  know  us  as  soon  as  we  show 
our  coats  and  caps.  Captain  Gildrock  has  found 
out  before  this  time  that  the  Lily  is  gone.  It  is 
about  six  o'clock  now,  and  he  can  ascertain  who 
have  taken  her  by  looking  out  for  the  absent  stu- 
dents. It  would  be  like  him  to  telegraph  to  Bur- 
lington to  have  us  arrested,  or  to  have  the  boat 
captured  if  we  don't  go  on  shore.  It  will  be  hot 
water  ahead,  whatever  we  do." 

"lam  in  favor  of  going  back  to  Beech  Hill," 
said  Kidd  Digfield.     "•  If  I  had  known  the  Lily 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  311 

was  at  anchor,  I  should  have  taken  one  of  the 
boats  and  gone  ashore,  or  pulled  back  to  the 
school." 

"  I  was  ready  to  go  with  him,"  added  Pell  Sank- 
land.  "  We  have  been  well  used  at  the  school ; 
and  there  is  ten  times  as  much  fun  there  as  there 
is  going  off  on  a  time  as  the  slaves  of  Tom 
Topover." 

"  Shall  we  put  about,  and  go  to  Beech  Hill  ?  " 
asked  Bent. 

"I  am  in  favor  of  it,"  replied  Kidd,  and  Pell 
agreed  with  him. 

Kidd  was  the  best  sailor  of  the  three ;  and  he 
was  allowed  to  retain  the  wheel,  and  direct  the 
movements  of  the  others.  Without  any  difficulty, 
he  brought  the  Lily  on  her  course  to  the  south- 
ward. The  wind  was  freshening  all  the  time,  and 
the  sea  was  beginning  to  look  very  rough  in  the 
broad  lake  ahead  of  them. 

"  We  shall  have  a  sweet  row  as  soon  as  Tom 
Topover  wakes  up,"  said  Bent,  when  they  had  all 
resumed  their  places  in  the  standing-room.  "  But 
I  don't  care  for  that.  Don't  say  a  word  about  the 
money ;  and,  as  soon  as  we  get  to  Beech  Hill,  I 
will  hand  it  over  to  Captain  Gildrock." 


312  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

"  Not  a  word,"  replied  Kidd.  "  Tom  is  sure  to 
pitch  into  us  as  soon  as  he  finds  that  we  are 
headed  for  Beech   Hill." 

"  He  will  take  the  schooner  away  from  us,  and 
head  her  the  other  way,"  added  Pell. 

"  I  don't  believe  he  will,"  replied  Bent,  shaking 
Ills  head  as  though  he  meant  business.  "There 
are  three  of  us ;  and  I  will  agree  to  take  care  of 
Tom,  if  you  will  take  care  of  the  others.  One 
of  us  ought  to  take  the  lead;  and  you  may  as 
well  do  so,  Kidd." 

"  I  would  rather  have  you  do  that ;  though  I  will 
handle  the  schooner  as  well  as  I  can,  if  you  will 
prevent  Tom  from  interfering  with  me,"  answered 
Kidd. 

"  I  will  do  that,"  Bent  assented ;  and  he  did  not 
seem  to  think  he  had  taken  a  large  contract. 

"Tom  Topover  could  lick  any  fellow  in  Gen- 
verres,  and  all  of  us  used  to  be  afraid  of  him," 
said  Pell. 

"Since  Dory  Dornwood  knocked  him  out,  and 
Paul  Bristol  gave  him  more  than  he  could 
stomach,  the  fellows  have  not  l^ecn  afraid  of  him. 
Ash  Burton  and  Sam  Spottwood  were  ready  to 
stand  up  before  him." 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  313 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  him,"  added  Bent,  who  had 
been  another  such  fellow  as  Tom,  in  the  town 
where  he  lived. 

All  these  boys  liad  been  greatly  influenced,  and 
their  characters  modified,  by  their  residence  at 
Beech  Hill.  Now  that  the  three  on  deck  had 
taken  the  first  step  towards  putting  themselves 
right,  they  found  a  certain  strength  which  had  not 
belonged  to  them  before.  They  had  taken  their 
position,  and  they  were  ready  to  carry  it  out  in 
spite  of  the  blows  and  the  ridicule  of  Tom.  The 
two  original  Topovers  were  beginning  to  under- 
stand why  they  had  yielded  to  their  old  leader, 
but  the  fear  of  his  sharp  sarcasm  had  been  over- 
come. 

The  Lily  sailed  like  a  bird,  having  the  wind 
nearly  on  the  beam.  It  was  only  four  miles  to 
the  mouth  of  the  river,  with  a  leading  wind  all  the 
way  up  to  the  moorings.  While  they  were  talk- 
ing, they  heard  a  distant  church-clock  strike  six. 
They  had  got  under  way  before  five,  and  now 
they  were  close  to  the  mouth  of  the  river. 

Tom  still  slept ;  for  he  had  been  very  tired,  and 
he  had  been  up  till  a  very  late  hour  for  him.  The 
motion  of  the  schooner  was  very  easy,  and  Bent 


314  ALL  taut;  or, 

had  closed  the  doors  of  the  cabin  so  that  the 
conversation  could  not  be  heard  if  any  one  waked 
below.  After  the  Lily  had  come  about,  she  had 
held  a  straight  course  to  the  river.  Not  a  sheet 
had  been  disturbed,  and  not  much  change  would 
be  required  until  she  reached  the  bend  in  the 
outlet  of  Beechwater.  Kidd  had  advised  that  no 
noise  should  be  made,  for  he  wished  to  postpone 
as  long  as  possible  the  row  with  Tom  Topover. 

The  result  of  his  cautionary  measures  resulted 
much  better  than  he  could  have  anticipated.  The 
Lily  went  into  the  river,  and  the  increasing  breeze 
went  with  her.  With  a  south-west  wind,  there 
was  no  difficulty  at  the  bend ;  though  it  was  neces- 
sary to  gybe  her  there.  The  wind  was  not  strong 
enough  yet  to  make  this  a  very  dangerous  manoeu- 
vre; and  she  came  about  handsomely,  and  the 
mainsail  was  eased  off  so  that  it  made  but  little 
noise. 

"  Here  we  are ! "  exclaimed  Bent  in  a  low  tone, 
when  the  schooner  shot  into  Beechwater.  "  There 
will  be  no  row  after  all ;  or,  if  there  is,  the  prin- 
cipal can  settle  it.  I  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  get 
ashore  before  Tom  wakes." 

"Then,  if  you   will   get  the  anchor  ready,  we 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  315 

will  ease  it  into  the  water,  and  haul  the  jib  down 
without  noise,"  added  Kidd. 

"We  have  stolen  a  march  upon  Tom,  and  I 
hope  we  shall  get  ashore  without  waking  him," 
said  Pell,  as  he  went  forward  with  Bent. 

At  the  right  time  Kidd  luffed  her  up,  and  went 
forward  to  assist  in  the  work  there.  He  hauled 
down  the  jib  while  his  companions  were  easing 
the  anchor  into  the  water.  In  a  moment  she 
was  fast  to  the  bottom.  Tom  had  not  yet  put 
in  an  appearance,  and  the  rebels  had  succeeded 
beyond  their  expectations. 

"  Don't  go  aft  again,"  said  Kidd,  as  he  hauled 
the  skiff  up  to  the  bow  of  the  schooner.  He  had 
preferred  to  anchor,  lest  the  noise  of  mooring 
should  disturb  the  sleepers. 

Bent  got  into  the  skiff,  and  was  followed  by 
the  others.  They  paddled  to  the  shore,  and  left 
the  Lily  with  her  fore  and  main  sail  set.  They 
landed  at  the  old  wharf.  As  they  had  supposed, 
the  principal  was  wide  awake,  and  had  discovered 
the  loss  of  the  Lily.  He  had  called  the  students 
together,  and  had  only  just  taken  the  names  of 
the  absent  ones.  When  he  saw  the  Lily  come  into 
Beechwater,  he  walked  at  once  to  the  old  wharf. 


816  ALL   TAUT-,    OK, 

"  Good-morning,  Digfield  !  Good-morning,  Fill- 
wing  !  You  have  been  taking  an  early  sail,"  said 
the  principal  in  his  usual  tones. 

Bent  replied  to  the  salutation,  and  then  handed 
the  roll  of  bills  to  Captain  Gildrock,  who  received 
tliem  with  astonishment,  not  to  say  wonder. 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  317 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

TOM  TOPOVER's   reception. 

"  OIXTY  dollars!  "  exclaimed  Captain  Gildrock, 
when  he  had  looked  over  the  roll  of  bills 
handed  him  by  Bent  Fill  wing.  "  Why  do  you 
give  this  money  to  me  ?  " 

"Doesn't  it  belong  to  you,  sir?"  asked  Bent, 
who  had  put  on  the  meekest  expression  he  could 
find  among  his  resources. 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  it  does.  I  have  not  lost 
any  money,"  added  the  principal. 

"Has  any  one  about  the  school  lost  any,  sir?" 
inquired  Bent,  who  began  to  think  he  had  pro- 
ceeded too  rapidly. 

"  I  have  not  heard  of  anj^  one  who  has  lost  any 
money.  Perhaps  you  had  better  explain  where 
you  got  it,  as  you  seem  to  be  anxious  to  get  rid 
of  it,"  suggested  the  captain. 

"  We  went  on  a  little  lark  in  the  Lily,  but  some 


318  ALL   TAUT;    OR, 

of  US  concluded  to  bring  her  btick,"  replied  Bent, 
fixing  his  gaze  upon  the  ground,  which  is  the 
proper  thing  for  a  penitent  to  do. 

"  Where  is  Tom  Topover,  who  went  with  J'ou?" 
asked  the  principal,  as  he  looked  at  the  three 
excursionists  who  had  presented  themselves  before 
him.     "Where  are  Splugger  and  Dumper?" 

"  We  left  them  asleep  on  board  of  the  Lily," 
replied  Bent,  with  a  smile,  as  he  watched  the 
expression  of  the  principal.  "  As  they  don't  show 
themselves,  I  suppose  they  are  still  asleep." 

Bent  Fillwing  chuckled  when  he  thought  of  the 
trick  he  had  played  on  Tom  Topover.  He  had 
expected  a  fight  with  him,  and  he  had  even  been 
ready  for  that ;  for  he  did  not  believe  so  much  in 
the  pugilistic  prowess  of  the  bully  as  most  of  the 
students,  and  he  was  at  home  in  that  sort  of  busi- 
ness. He  thought  he  knew  how  to  manage  the 
principal :  and  he  was  acting  all  the  time,  as  much 
as  though  he  had  been  the  leading  card  in  a 
show. 

The  story  of  Ash  Burton  and  Sam  Spottwood, 
who  had  escaped  the  consequences  of  the  stealing 
of  the  Gold  wing,  was  well  known ;  and  the  prin- 
cipal seemed  to  have  a  weakness  in  the  direction 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  319 

of  penitents,  if  he  had  one  in  any  direction.  It 
was  evident  that  he  knew  all  about  the  scrape  as 
far  as  it  could  be  ascertained  at  Beech  Hill,  for 
he  had  mentioned  all  the  names  of  the  party  not 
before  him. 

"You  seem  to  be  amused  at  something,  Fillwing," 
continued  Captain  Gildrock,  smiling  himself. 

"We  have  concluded  to  tell  the  wliole  truth, 
and  keep  nothing  back,  not  even  the  money,"  said 
Bent ;  though  he  had  a  sort  of  suspicion  that  he 
had  been  a  little  premature  in  disposing  so  sud- 
denly of  the  sixty  dollars. 

"  That  is  a  wise  plan.  It  seems  that  you  have 
voluntarily  returned,  in  spite  of  Tom  Topover, 
Splugger,  and  Dumper,*'  replied  the  principal  en- 
couragingly. 

"  Yes,  sir,  we  were  sure  we  should  be  captured ; 
and,  while  Tom  was  asleep,  we  brought  him  back 
to  Beech  Hill,  and  we  are  very  sorry  we  took  an}^ 
part  in  the  enterprise,"  added  Bent,  acting  his 
part  very  well ;  though  the  principal  understood 
him  as  well  as  though  he  had  said  he  was  playing 
the  penitent. 

"  Perhaps  it  is  fortunate  for  you  that  he  was 
asleep,  if  you  decided  to  retrace  your  steps." 


320 

"I  think  we  should  have  come  back  all  the 
same  if  he  had  been  awake,  though  it  might  have 
cost  us  a  fight  in  that  case ;  and  we  had  agreed 
to  take  things  as  they  came,"  replied  Bent,  with 
a  modest  display  of  virtue. 

"  That  is,  you  had  resolved  to  fight  for  the 
privilege  of  doing  your  duty,"  added  Captain 
Gildrock.  ''  Don't  be  over  modest  about  it.  Duty 
presented  herself  before  you  :  and,  though  peril 
and  suffering  lay  between  you  and  her,  you  were 
determined  to  follow  her  at  all  hazards." 

This  railler}'  took  all  the  starch  out  of  Bent 
Fillwing.  The  principal  saw  through  his  parade 
of  confession,  and  took  no  stock  in  his  penitence. 

"  I  said  we  came  back  because  we  were  sure  we 
should  be  caught,  though  we  all  agreed  that  the 
scrape  was  a  bad  egg,'^  replied  Bent,  switching  off 
to  a  new  track. 

"What  was  the  scrape?"  asked  the  captain, 
looking  from  one  to  another  of  the  delinquents. 

"That  is  more  than  we  know.  Tom  Topover 
sailed  under  sealed  orders ;  and  he  would  not  tell 
us  what  we  were  going  to  do,  or  where  we  were 
going.  He  promised  us  that  we  should  go  to  the 
theatre,  and  live  at  the  hotels ;  and  he  did  not 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  321 

mean  to  come  back  to  Beech  Hill.  We  couldn't 
get  any  thing  out  of  him  in  regard  to  his  plan. 
He  said  he  would  pay  the  bills,  but  he  would  not 
tell  us  any  thing,"  Bent  explained. 

"And  you  went  with  him  on  these  terms?" 

"  I  was  willing  enough  to  go,  until  he  put  oia 
as  many  airs  as  though  he  had  been  the  principal 
of  the  Beech-Hill  Industrial  School.  He  was 
always  under  sealed  orders,  and  gave  off  his  com- 
mands as  though  he  expected  them  to  be  obeyed, 
and  no  questions  asked." 

"  That  is  the  proper  way  to  obey  orders,"  added 
the  principal,  with  a  smile. 

"  Kidd  and  Pell  did  not  want  to  go,  but  Tom 
blackguarded  them  into  joining  ;  and  they  Avere 
ready  enough  to  come  back  as  soon  as  the  way 
was  open.  I  don't  know  but  they  would  have 
had  a  fight  in  order  to  follow  that  lady  you  spoke 
of,"  continued  Bent,  who  was  himself  now. 

"  What  lady  ?     I  have  spoken  of  no  lady." 

"Duty  —  Miss  Duty;  but  she  was  not  as  good- 
looking  as  Miss  Lily  Bristol.  In  our  case  she 
seemed  to  be  pointing  to  the  door  of  the  brig." 

The  principal  thought  he  might  get  the  truth 
out  of  Kidd  Digfield  and  Pell  Sankland,  who  had 


322  ALL  TAUT;   OR, 

not  yet  spoken  a  word.  He  questioned  them  ;  and 
they  told  him  without  any  attempt  at  conceal- 
ment or  palliation,  and  with  no  mock  humility, 
all  that  had  occurred  since  they  went  to  their 
rooms  the  night  before.  They  were  genuine  pen- 
itents, and  there  was  no  fraud  about  them. 

"  You  were  weak  to  allow  the  blackguard  talk 
of  a  fellow  like  Tom  Topover  to  turn  you  aside, 
but  you  will  know  better  next  time,"  added  Cap- 
tain Gildrock  very  mildly.  ''Do  you  know  any 
thing  about  this  money  ?  " 

"  Nothing  at  all,  sir :  I  did  not  know  Tom  had 
it,  except  from  what  he  said,"  replied  Kidd. 

"You  don't  know  where  he  got  it?" 

Not  one  of  them  had  the  remotest  idea. 

"  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had  robbed 
some  teacher's  room,  or  had  been  exploring  your 
strong-box,  sir,"  interposed  Bent.  "  At  any  rate, 
I  was  sure  that  he  had  not  come  honestly  by  it ; 
and,  when  I  saw  it  sticking  out  of  his  pocket,  I 
took  possession  of  it,  for  it  was  the  sinews  of 
war." 

"  And,  when  you  got  it,  you  decided  to  re- 
turn?" asked  the  principal,  with  a  smile. 

Bent  winced  under  the  glance  bestowed   upon 


RIGGING   THE  BOAT.  323 

him ;  for  he  realized  that  the  principal  understood 
him,  and  that  an}^  more  humility  or  pretence  of 
duty  would  do  him  no  good. 

"  I  did  not  decide  to  return  because  I  had  got 
the  money,  but  because  Tom  had  deserted  his 
post,  and  instead  of  being  up  at  Plattsburgh,  or 
some  point  miles  nearer  the  foot  of  the  lake,  we 
were  not  four  miles  from  the  mouth  of  Beaver 
River.*' 

"  That  sounds  quite  reasonable.  Tom  had 
spoiled  the  enterprise  he  had  undertaken  to  man- 
age," added  the  captain. 

*'  That  was  exactly  it.  He  was  sleepy,  and 
then  he  anchored  the  schooner  and  turned  in.  I 
knew  we  couldn't  get  away  after  he  had  lost  three 
or  four  hours.  There  was  no  chance  for  us,  and 
I  gave  it  up  as  soon  as  I  had  looked  over  the 
ground.  The  moment  I  said  a  word,  Kidd  and 
Pell  were  eager  to  come  back." 

'"  You  may  come  over  to  the  boat-house  with 
me,"  continued  the  principal,  leading  the  way. 

The  boat-house  was  open,  and  they  found  all 
the  students  assembled  there.  The  smoke  was 
pouring  out  of  the  smoke-stack  of  the  Sylph,  and 
the  runaways  concluded  that  they  were  getting 


324  ALL  taut;  or, 

lier  ready  to  go  in  search  of  the  Lily.  No  one 
seemed  to  be  stirring  yet  on  board  of  the  schooner; 
and  it  was  evident  that  Tom  Topover  and  his  two 
companions  had  not  3^et  finished  tlieir  nap.  It  was 
only-  seven  o'clock,  and  tliey  had  not  turned  in 
till  one  ;  so  that  they  had  not  yet  made  up  the  eight 
hours  of  sleep  to  which  they  were  accustomed. 

Dory  Dornwood  and  Paul  Bristol  were  called 
by  Captain  Gildrock,  and  directed  to  go  out  to 
the  Lily,  buoy  the  cable  without  waiting  to  get 
up  the  anchor,  and  to  bring  her  to  the  wharf 
without  waking  those  in  the  cabin. 

Dory  laughed  heartily  when  he  had  learned 
enough  of  the  absence  of  the  schooner  to  compre- 
hend the  situation ;  and  he  and  Paul  executed  the 
order  with  which  they  were  charged,  to  the  letter. 
The  Lily  was  brought  alongside  of  the  wharf,  and 
made  fast.  The  sleepers  in  the  cabin  were  enter- 
ing on  their  seventli  hour  of  slumber,  and  the 
movements  of  the  boat  had  not  disturbed  them. 

"Now,  boys,  form  a  line,"  said  the  principal. 
"  Keep  step ;  and,  when  I  give  the  word,  I  want 
you  to  put  your  feet  down  in  earnest.*' 

The  students  formed  the  line;  and,  when  Bent 
and  his  two  associates  held  back,  they  were  re- 


RIGGING    THE    BOAT.  325 

quired  to  take  their  places  iu  the  line.  The  bo3^s 
had  been  trained  a  little  in  a  few  military  move- 
ments for  marching  purposes,  and  they  knew  how 
to  place  themselves.  Dory  was  directed  to  lead 
them  to  the  deck  of  the  Lily ;  and  the  students 
were  required  to  step  lightly,  until  the  word  was 
given  for  a  change. 

The  students  filed  upon  the  deck  of  the  schooner, 
in  good  order,  and  without  making  any  noise. 
When  the  last  one  was  on  the  deck,  and  Dory 
had  marched  the  head  of  the  column  around  tho 
standing-room,  Captain  Gildrock  gave  the  word, 
"  Attention  !  march !  "  The  file  was  closed  up,  so 
that  the  students  stood  touching  each  other.  All 
as  one,  they  began  to  put  their  feet  down  on  the 
planks  in  a  very  heavy  step.  All  hands  were 
intensely  amused,  for  they  had  been  told  the  sit- 
uation of  things  on  board,  and  were  laughing  as 
though  they  enjoj'ed  the  affair  in  which  they  were 
engaged.  Tom  and  his  fellow-rebels  would  have 
no  reason  to  suppose  they  were  not  at  anchor  off 
Cannon's  Point. 

The  tramp  of  their  feet  could  be  heard  half  a 
mile  from  tlie  wharf,  for  Mrs.  Bristol  and  Lily 
soon   came   to   the   scene   to   ascertain  what  the 


326  ALL  taut;  or, 

matter  was.  The  boys  kept  up  the  step  with 
all  the  vigor  of  those  interested  in  the  business. 
The  cabin-doors  were  closed  ;  but,  if  the  runaways 
were  still  alive,  they  could  not  help  waking,  with 
such  a  tremendous  noise  over  tlieir  heads. 

"  On  deck  there !  what  are  you  doing?"  shouted 
Tom  Topover,  at  the  top  of  his  lungs.  ''  What's 
all  that  noise  for?" 

The  principal,  who  still  stood  on  the  wharf, 
where  he  could  overlook  the  operations,  raised 
his  hand ;  and  all  the  students  became  as  statues 
at  once.  Silence  reigned  supreme.  In  a  low 
tone,  he  told  Dory  to  be  ready  to  give  three 
cheers;  and  the  word  was  passed  along  the  line. 

"Why  don't  you  answer  me.  Bent  Fillwing?" 
shouted  Tom  again,  when  no  attention  was  paid 
to  his  first  call. 

The  silence  was  not  broken,  and  Tom  was  evi- 
dently getting  mad.  A  moment  later  he  pushed 
open  the  cabin-doors,  and  tumbled  out  into  the 
standing-room. 

"  Three  cheers !  "  exclaimed  Dory,  prom})ted  by 
his  uncle. 

The  cheers  were  lustily  given,  and  Tom  opened 
his  eyes  very  wide. 


'•The  PBINCIPAL  STOOD   ON  THE   WHAKF,  WHERE   HE   COULD  OVERLOOK 

THE  oPEJBATioifs."  — Page  326. 


RIGGING  THE   BOAT.  327 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE   REFORMED   TOPOVERS    AT  BEECH   HILL. 

"YTTHEN  Tom  Topover  heard  the  cheers,  he 
^  ^  had  made  his  way  into  the  standing-room. 
He  had  evidently  expected  to  find  his  turbulent 
subordinate,  Bent  Fillwing,  there ;  and  he  had 
opened  his  mouth  to  give  him  a  severe  rating. 
But  when  he  saw  the  students  of  the  school  gath- 
ered around  in  solid  phalanx,  he  started  back,  and 
looked  as  though  he  had  seen  the  world  suddenly 
come  to  an  end. 

He  had  slept  like  a  log;  and  he  had  not  the 
remotest  suspicion  that  the  Lily  was  not  at  anchor 
off  Cannon's  Point,  where  he  had  left  her  the 
night  before.  A  remarkable  change  had  taken 
place  in  the  situation,  and  he  could  not  account 
for  it.  He  saw  that  the  Lily  was  at  the  wharf; 
and  there  was  the  boat-house  ;  and  on  the  edge  of 
the  wharf  stood  the  principal,  looking  as  smiling 
as  though  no  case  of  discipline  ever  troubled  him. 


328  ALL  taut;  or, 

Nim  Splugger  and  Jack  Dumper  had  been 
awakened  by  the  tramp  of  the  boys  on  deck, 
and  were  at  the  lieels  of  the  chief  when  he  went 
up  the  companion-way  to  the  standing-room. 
They  were  quite  as  much  astonished  as  Tom. 
In  fact,  all  three  of  them  were  utterly  confounded 
by  the  situation.  If  they  had  been  dreaming,  in 
their  heavy  slumber,  of  the  theatre  and  circus,  — 
visits  to  which  had  been  confidently  promised  to 
them,  —  they  awoke  to  a  terrible  certainty  that 
the  fun  was  all  over. 

The  principal  said  nothing  for  a  couple  of 
minutes,  in  order  to  allow  Tom  and  his  compan- 
ions to  take  it  all  in,  and  gather  up  their  ideas. 
Then  he  stepped  down  from  the  wharf,  and  took 
a  stand  on  the  rail  of  the  schooner. 

"  Good-morning,  Captain  Topover ;  for  I  under- 
stand that  you  are  the  commander  of  this  schoon- 
er,'' the  principal  began,  with  mock  solemnity. 
"We  learned  that  you  had  arrived  this  morning, 
in  your  fine  craft ;  and  we  have  turned  out  to  give 
you  a  fitting  reception.  When  great  men  come 
to  Beech  Hill,  we  do  our  best  to  receive  them 
with  suitable  honors. 

"  On  your  return  from  your  cruise  in  the  Lily, 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  329 

it  gives  us  great  pleasure  to  welcome  you.  We 
hardly  expected  to  see  you  so  soon;  and  your 
arrival  at  tliis  early  hour  deprives  the  students 
of  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you  on  the  lake  in 
the  S}'lph,  in  which  they  were  preparing  to  re- 
ceive you  some  time  in  the  course  of  the  day. 

"  We  congratulate  you  on  the  happy  circum- 
stance that  you  have  brought  the  Lily  back  in 
good  condition,  and  we  have  no  doubt  you  have 
enjoyed  your  excursion  very  much.  We  under- 
stand that  you  have  enforced  discipline  on  board 
of  the  schooner ;  and,  as  you  were  sailing  under 
sealed  orders,  you  have  kept  your  own  counsel. 
For  myself,  I  may  say  that  I  have  received  the 
sixty  dollars  which  was  the  sinews  of  the  trip.". 

"  I  didn't  steal  that  money,"  blubbered  Tom,  as 
he  looked  at  the  principal,  and  realized  that  all 
the  students,  even  to  Bent,  Kidd,  and  Pell,  who 
were  seen  among  them,  were  laughing  at  him, 
and  enjoying  the  scene  to  their  hearts'  content. 

"  My  dear  Captain  Topover,  no  one  has  accused 
you  of  stealing  it ! "  exclaimed  the  principal. 
"  You  sailed  under  sealed  orders,  and  you  did  not 
even  tell  your  companions  in  the  enterprise  where 
you  got  that  money.     This  was  all  very  proper, 


330  ALT.   TAUT  ;    OR, 

for  it  takes  away  from  the  dignity  of  a  com- 
mander to  be  too  familiar  with  his  subordinates. 
We  look  upon  you  as  a  mighty  man,  and  we 
hardly  expect  you  to  be  more  communicative  to 
us." 

Tom  seemed  to  be  a  little  bothered  at  the  allu- 
sion to  the  money,  and  he  began  to  feel  in  his  vest- 
pocket  for  the  bills.  He  had  not  shown  them  to 
his  companions ;  and  they  could  not  have  known 
any  thing  about  the  money,  except  the  hint  he 
had  given  them  that  he  was  provided  with  funds. 
The  roll  of  bills  had  been  in  his  pocket  when  he 
went  to  sleep :  it  was  not  there  now.  And  the 
principal  was  talking  about  the  amount,  which  he 
had  not  mentioned,  to  the  whole  school.  It 
looked  very  strange  to  him  now  that  he  had  time 
to  collect  his  thoughts.     He  could  not  explain  it. 

At  this  point  of  the  interview,  the  breakfast- 
bell  rang  at  the  door  of  the  mansion. 

"  It  is  a  happy  circumstance  that  you  arrived 
just  in  time  for  our  morning  meal,  and  we  shall 
take  great  pleasure  in  escorting  you  to  the  ban- 
quet hall.  You  must  have  an  appetite  after  the 
labors  of  the  night,  most  of  which  you  have 
spent  in  your  berth,"  continued  Captain  Gildrock. 


RIGGING   THE   BOAT.  331 

"  March  to  the  house  by  twos,  and  open  ranks  in 
the  middle  to  receive  our  distinguished  guests  on 
this  occasion." 

The  students  doubled  up,  and  marched  ashore. 
In  the  middle  of  the  column,  in  single  file,  the 
three  rebels  were  placed.  Tom  did  not  know 
what  to  make  of  it.  If  the  principal  or  Bates 
had  taken  him  by  the  collar,  and  pitched  him  on 
the  deck,  he  could  have  comprehended  it.  If  he 
was  disposed  to  rebel,  he  could  not  do  so  in  the 
face  of  the  ridicule  that  was  in  process  of  being 
heaped  upon  him.  He  took  his  place  in  the  line, 
and  the  column  marched  to  the  house. 

The  teachers  and  others  had  collected  on  the 
lawn,  aware  that  something  unusual  had  trans- 
pired ;  and  they  could  not  help  joining  in  the  gen- 
eral laugh,  when  they  saw  in  the  procession  the 
three  runaways  marching  to  the  mansion.  At  the 
table  all  took  their  usual  places,  and  the  lake  voy- 
agers were  hungry  enough  to  do  excellent  justice 
to  the  meal  set  before  them. 

While  they  were  at  breakfast.  Bates  moved  the 
Lily  back  to  her  moorings,  fished  up  the  anchor, 
and  put  the  craft  in  her  usual  neat  trim.  Nothing 
was  said  at  the  table  about  the  escapade  of  the 


332  ALL   TAUT  ;    OR, 

Topover  party ;  and,  llioiigli  the  students  kept  an 
eye  on  the  chief,  the  principal  hardly  glanced  at 
him.  While  he  was  still  at  the  head  of  the  table, 
a  servant  brouo-ht  in  the  morninsf  mail.  As  the 
party  rose  from  their  seats,  the  captain  handed  the 
letters  to  those  to  whom  they  were  directed. 
Among  several  belonging  to  himself,  he  opened 
one.  He  read  for  a  moment,  and  then  rapped  on 
the  table. 

''Here  is  a  letter  from  a  gentleman  who  was 
here  to  see  me  yesterday;  and,  as  it  explains  a 
great  mystery,  I  will  read  a  portion  of  it  to  you, 
as  it  relates  to  the  sinews  of  the  late  cruise  of  the 
Lily.  '  On  my  return  from  Beech  Hill  last  even- 
ing, I  went  to  the  office  of  llie  Van  Ness  House  to 
pay  my  bill,  for  I  intended  to  go  home  by  tlie 
evening  train ;  ])ut  I  found  I  had  not  a  dollar  in 
my  pocket.  I  had  a  roll  of  bills  in  my  vest- 
pocket,  which,  to  the  best  of  my  remembrance, 
contained  sixty  dollars.  I  have  not  the  least  idea 
where  I  lost  it.  Possibly,  I  dropped  it  in  your 
grounds.  If  so,  and  you  happen  to  find  it,  please 
give  me  credit  for  the  amount,  or  send  a  check  to 
me  at  my  residence;  for  I  borrowed  enough  to  get 
home  with/ 


IlIGGING   THE    BOAT.  333 

"  Now,  thanks  to  the  honesty  of  Captaui  Top- 
over,  late  commander  of  the  Lily  in  her  cruise  to, 
but  not  from.  Cannon's  Point,  I  am  enabled  to  re- 
turn this  money  to  its  rightful  owner,"  continued 
the  principal.  ''It  has  been  placed  in  my  hands 
for  safe  keeping,  and  I  did  not  expect  to  find 
the  owner  of  it  so  soon."' 

"Who  placed  it  in  3'our  hands  for  safe  keep- 
ing?" asked  Tom,  rather  impudently. 

"I  think  we  will  follow  your  example, — sail 
under  sealed  orders,  and  keep  our  own  counsel," 
replied  Captain  Gildrock.  "  At  any  rate,  none  of 
the  money  will  be  spent  for  theatre  and  circus, 
and  none  for  hotel-bills  on  our  account." 

The  students  laughed  heartily  at  the  discomfit- 
ure of  Tom  Topover.  Captain  Gildrock  had  told 
the  three  penitents  not  to  mention  the  manner  in 
which  the  money  had  been  obtained,  or  that  they 
had  handed  it  to  him.  He  did  not  care  to  have 
Tom  pick  a  quarrel  with  Bent  on  account  of  it. 
This  part  of  the  adventure  remained  concealed 
from  all,  and  Tom  could  not  explain  it ;  though  he 
suspected  that  his  three  renegade  companions  had 
done  some  things  which  they  did  not  explain. 

The  students  went  to    their  studies,   and   the 


334  ALL  TAUT;   OK, 

rebels  were  surprised  that  nothing  more  was  said 
to  them.  The  only  penalty  to  which  they  were 
subjected  was  that  the  windows  were  covered  with 
bars  again,  in  the  rooms  of  Tom,  Nim,  and  Jack 
Dumper.  The  others  were  truly  sorr}-  for  the 
part  they  had  played  in  the  scrape,  and  no 
punishment  awaited  them.  But  the  ridicule  to 
which  the  three  guilty  ones  were  subjected, 
proved  to  be  a  very  salutary  medicine  for  their 
complaint. 

"You  went  back  on  me.  Bent  Fillwing,"  said 
Tom  Topover,  in  the  evening,  when  they  were 
alone  on  the  lawn. 

"  And  you  went  back  on  the  whole  of  us," 
retorted  Bent. 

"I  did?  Not  a  bit  of  it!  If  you  hadn't  de- 
serted me,  1  would  have  done  all  I  promised. 
What  do  3'ou  mean  by  saying  that  I  went  back  on 
you?  Tom  Topover  never  went  back  on  any 
fellow   in    liis    life.' 

"  Bosh  ! ''  sneered  Bent.  "  When  you  got  sleepy, 
you  anchored  the  schooner  and  went  to  sleep.  I 
call  that  going  back  on  us  in  the  worst  possible 
manner.  You  haven't  brains  enough  to  manage 
any  affair,  Tom   Topover.     You  arc  as  vain  as  a 


RIGGING   THE  BOAT.  335 

bantam  rooster,  and  you  put  on  airs  enough  to 
fit  out  a  sergeant  at  a  country  muster." 

"None  of  3^our  lip,  Bent  Fillwing.  If  you 
talk  like  that,  I'll  bat  you  over  the  head.  I  don't 
let  any  fellow  talk  to  me  like  that,"  said  Tom, 
doubling  up  his  fists. 

'*  You  will  let  me  tell  you  the  truth ;  or  I  will 
tell  you,  whether  j-ou  let  me  or  not.  If  you  want 
to  bat  me  over  the  head,  I  will  show  you,  in  one 
second  after  you  have  done  it,  how  long  you  are 
when  you  are  spread  out  on  the  ground,  I  repeat, 
that  you  are  a  vain  pup,  and  no  fellow  can  trust 
you.  When  Kidd  and  Pell  and  I  had  the  watch 
below,  what  did  you  do  on  deck  ?  You  gave  up 
the  battle,  and  went  to  sleep.  In  the  morning, 
when  we  ought  to  have  been  below  Burlington, 
and  out  of  sight  of  people  who  know  us,  we  were 
fast  to  the  anchor,  only  four  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  river.  I  had  no  confidence  in  you,  and  I 
gave  it  up.  I  wouldn't  trust  you  to  lead  a  farrow 
hen  to  water." 

"  You  and  I  will  have  to  settle  this  business. 
Bent  Fillwing,"  muttered  Tom. 

"  Why  don't  you  settle  it  now,  if  you  want  to. 
If  you  wish   to  know   how  long  you  are,   I   can 


336  ALL   TAUT  ;   OR, 

make  a  plan  of  you  on  the  ground  in  the  twin- 
kling of  an  eye.  Then  you  acted  as  though  you 
were  the  commander  of  a  big  man-of-war,  when 
you  were  nothing  but  a  sick  puppy.  No  fellow 
could  stand  it  when  you  began  to  lord  it  over 
him.  If  we  had  not  brought  the  schooner  back, 
the  Sylph  would  have  captured  us ;  and  then  the 
fun  would  have  been  all  over.  It  was  no  use  to 
think  of  doing  any  thing,  after  you  liad  lost  four 
hours  of  the  time  we  ought  to  have  used  in  getting 
to  a  safe  part  of  the  lake." 

"  How  did  old  Gildrock  get  that  sixty  dollars?  " 
asked  Tom,  finding  it  was  useless  to  bully  Bent. 
He  was  too  ready  to  be  hit,  and  to  return  the 
compliment. 

"Don't  you  suppose  he  w^ent  down  to  your 
berth  after  you  came  into  Beechwater,  and  took 
it  from  your  pocket  ?  "  asked  Bent,  laughing. 

Tom  did  not  believe  he  had  done  so.  But  he 
could  get  nothing  out  of  him  or  the  other  peni- 
tents, and  he  had  to  give  it  up.  Perhaps  he  will 
know  some  day,  but  it  is  still  a  great  mystery  to 
him. 

Captain  Gildrock  said  it  was  a  great  misfortune 
to  Tom,  that  he  had  found  that  roll  of  bills.     Tlie 


KIGGING  THE   BOAT.  337 

money  had,  no  doubt,  tempted  him  to  plan  the 
excursion  in  the  Lily,  on  the  spur  of  the  moment. 
He  would  not  have  thought  of  such  a  thing,  if  the 
"  sinews  "  had  not  been  obtained  by  accident. 

Up  to  this  time,  Tom  had  been  doing  very  well. 
He  observed  all  the  rules,  and  learned  his  lessons. 
In  the  shop  he  was  particularly  attentive  to  his 
work.  For  some  time  before  the  long  vacation 
the  students  had  been  engaged  in  building  the 
engine  for  the  proposed  steamer,  which  was  to 
be  about  half  the  size  of  the  Sylph.  Tom  was 
employed  on  this  work,  and  his  lessons  related 
to  the  natural  forces  employed  to  obtain  steam- 
power.  He  was  interested  in  this  subject,  and  he 
read  with  attention  all  his  text-book  contained  in 
relation  to  it. 

In  a  few  weeks,  when  it  was  seen  that  Tom  and 
his  associates  in  the  cruise  of  the  Lily  were  doing 
as  well  as  they  knew  how,  the  bars  were  removed 
from  their  windows,  and  the  doors  were  not  locked 
at  night.  All  of  them  were  allowed  to  visit  their 
parents,  and  to  spend  Sunday  with  them ;  but 
they  did  not  value  the  privilege  very  highly,  and 
preferred  to  spend  most  of  the  time  at  Beech 
Hill. 


338  ALL  TAUT  ;   OR, 

Tom  became  a  skilful  machinist  in  time,  though 
he  never  entirely  recovered  from  the  faults  of 
his  disposition.  He  was  kept  busy  at  the  school 
during  his  three  years ;  and  he  gave  but  little 
trouble,  on  the  whole,  though  he  sometimes  had 
an  outbreak  which  worked  off  the  bad  blood  for 
the  time.  The  people  of  Genverres  were  aston- 
ished at  the  fact,  when  they  realized  it,  that  the 
Topovers  had  been  reformed,  and  were  doing 
their  duty  in  the  institution.  It  w^as  a  merciful 
thing  to  them  as  well  as  to  the  boys,  for  they 
had  suffered  a  great  deal  from  their  pranks  and 
depredations. 

Mrs.  Sankland  had  occasion  to  look  back  to 
the  fire  in  her  house  as  a  godsend ;  for  it  had 
called  the  attention  of  the  people  to  her  wants, 
and  she  was  supplied  with  all  the  work  she  could 
do. 

About  the  time  Tom  Topover  graduated,  and 
took  a  place  to  run  a  stationary  engine,  his  father 
died ;  and  he  did  his  full  share  in  supporting  the 
family.  The  school  had  made  a  new  man  of  him, 
as  a  school  of  no  other  kind  could  have  done. 

A  little  later  in  the  season,  the  keel  of  the  steam- 
yacht  was  laid  down    in  the  sheds   built  for  the 


RIGGING   THE    BOAT.  339 

accommodation  of  the  Lily.  The  wood-workers 
among  the  students  labored  on  her  all  winter, 
and  had  enough  to  do ;  while  those  in  the  metal- 
shops  finished  the  engine. 

In  the  following  spring,  as  soon  as  the  weather 
was  suitable  for  going  out  on  the  lake,  classes  in 
boat-sailing  were  organized,  under  the  instruction 
of  Matt  Randolph  and  Dory  Dornwood,  who  con- 
tinued in  service  as  captains  of  the  Lily  and  the 
Gold  wing ;  and  all  hands  made  a  practical  use  of 
the  phrase  they  had  so  often  heard,  "Ready, 
about!"  as  they  learned  the  art  of  "sailing  the 
boat." 


OLIVER   OPTICS  BOOKS. 


THE  BOAT-BUILDER  SERIES. 

To  be  completed  in  Six  Volumes.     Illustrated. 
Per  Vol.,  $1.25. 


1.  ALL  ADRIFT; 

Or,  The  Gold  wing  Club. 

2.  SNUG  HARBOR; 

Or,  The  Champlain  Mechanics. 

3.  SQUARE  AND  COMPASS; 

Or,  Building  the  House. 

4.  STEM  TO  STERN; 

Or,  Building  the  Boat. 

6.  ALL  TAUT; 

Or,  Rigging  the  Boat. 

«.  READY  ABOUT; 

Or,  Sailing  the  Boat. 


The  series  will  include  in  successive  volumes  the  whole  art 
&f  boat-building,  boat-rigging,  boat-managing,  and  probably 
how  to  make  the  ownership  of  a  boat  pay.  A  great  deal  of 
useful  information  will  be  given  in  this  Boat-Building  series, 
and  in  each  book  a  very  interesting  story  is  sure  to  be  inter- 
woven with  the  information.  Every  reader  will  be  interested 
at  once  in  "  Dory,"  the  hero  ot  "All  Adrift,"  and  one  of  the 
characters  to  be  retained  in  the  future  volumes  of  the  series; 
at  least  there  are  already  several  of  his  recently  made  friends 
who  do  not  want  to  lose  sight  of  him,  and  this  will  be  the 
case  of  pretty  much  every  boy  who  makes  his  acquaintance 
yr,  *A\\  Adrift." 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


WOODYILLE  STORIES. 

UxUfonn  witli  Library  for  Young  People.    Six  vols.    16iiiO.    Ilia* 
trated.    Per  vol.,  $1.35. 


1.  RICH  AND  HUMBLE; 

Or,  The  Mission  of  Bertha  Grant. 

2.  IN  SCHOOL  AND  OUT; 

Or,  The  Conquest  of  Richard  Grant. 

3.  WATCH  AND  WAIT; 

Or,  The  Young  Fugitives. 

4.  WORK  AND  WIN ; 

Or,  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruise. 

5.  HOPE  AND  HAVE; 

Or,  Fanny  Grant,  among  the  Indians. 

6.  HASTE  AND  WASTE; 

Or,  The  Young  Pilot  of  Lake  Chaniplain. 


Though  we  are  not  so  j'oiing  as  we  once  were,  we  relished 
these  stories  ahnost  as  much  as  the  bo3'S  and  girls  for  whom 
the}'  were  written.  The}'  were  really  refreshing  even  to  us. 
There  is  much  in  them  wliich  is  calculated  to  inspire  a  gener- 
ous, healthy  ambition,  and  to  make  distasteful  all  reading 
tending  to  stinnilate  base  desires.  —  Fitchburg  Reveille, 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS, 

THE  LAKE  SHORE  SERIES. 

Six  volumes.    Illustrated.    In  neat  box    Per  vol.,  $1.85. 


1.  THROUGH  BY  DAYLIGHT; 

Or,  The  Young  Engineer  of  the  Lake  Shore 
Railroad. 

2.  LIGHTNING  EXPRESS; 

Or,  The  Rival  Academies, 

3.  ON  TIME, 

Or,  The  Young  Captain  of  the  Ucayga  Steamer 

4.  SWITCH  OFF; 

Or,  The  War  of  the  Students. 

5.  BRAKE-UP; 

Or,  The  Young  Peacemakers. 

6.  BEAR  AND   FORBEAR; 

Or,  The  Young  Skipper  of  Lake  Ucayga. 


*' Oliver  Optic"  is  one  of  the  most  fascinating  writers  foi 
youth,  and  withal  one  of  the  best  to  be  found  in  this  or  any 
past  age.  Troops  of  young  people  hang  over  his  vivid  pages, 
and  not  one  of  them  ever  learned  to  be  mean,  ignoble,  cow« 
ardl}',  selfish,  or  to  yield  to  any  vice  from  anything  they  eveJ 
rwid  from  his  pen.  — Providence  Press, 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


YACHT  CLUB  SERIES. 

|Iulfor«k  \vltli  tlie  ever  popular  "Boat  Club,"  Series,     Coii^plet«<| 
iu  six  vols.     16ino.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.00. 


1.  LITTLE  BOBTAIL; 

Or,  The  Wreck  of  the  Penobscot. 

2.  THE  YACHT  CLUB; 

Or,  The  Young  Boat-Builders. 

3.  MONEY-MAKER; 

Or,  The  Victory  of  the  Basilisk. 

4.  THE  COMING  WAVE; 

Or,  The  Treasure  of  High  Rock. 

6.  THE  DORCAS  CLUB; 

Or,  Our  Girls  Afloat. 

6.  OCEAN  BORN; 

Or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Clubs. 


The  series  has  this  peculiarity,  that  all  of  its  constituent 
volumes  are  independent  of  one  another,  and  therefore  each 
story  is  complete  in  itself  "Oliver  Optic"  is  perhaps  the 
favorite  author  of  the  boys  and  girls  of  this  country,  and  he 
Beems  destined  to  enjoy  an  endless  popularity.  He  deserveg 
his  success,  for  he  makes  very  interesting  stories,  and  incul- 
cft*«8  none  but  the  best  sentiments;  and  the  "Yacht  Club" 
it  00  exception  to  this  rule. — New  Haven  Jour .  andCouriar 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS, 

' ^ — 

THE  GREAT  WESTERN 

SERIES. 

Six  Volumes.    Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.50. 


1.  GOING  WEST? 

Or,  The  Perils  of  a  Poor  Boy. 

2.  OUT  WEST; 

Or,  Roughing  it  on  the  Great  Lakes. 

3.  LAKE  BREEZES; 

Or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Sylvania. 

4.  GOING  SOUTH ; 

Or,  Yachting  on  the  Atlantic  Coast. 

5.  DOWN  SOUTH; 

Or,  Yacht  Adventures  in  Florida.    (In  Frees. 

6.  UP  THE  RIVER ; 

Or,  Yachting  on  the  Mississippi.    (In  Press.) 


This  is  the  latest  series  of  books  issued  by  this  popalat 
,riiter,  and  deals  with  Life  on  the  Great  Lakes,  for  which  a 
i^areful  study  was  made  by  the  author  in  a  summer  tour  of  th« 
Immense  water  sources  of  America.  The  story,  which  carries 
the  game  hero  through  the  six  books  of  the  series,  is  always 
entertaining,  novel  scenes  and  varied  incidents  giving  a  con- 
stantly changing,  yet  always  attractive  aspect  to  the  nari^ 
Bve.     "Oliver  Optic"  has  written  nothing  better. 


OLIVER   OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


FAMOUS  "BOAT-CLUB"  SERIES 

Library  for  Touug  People.    Six  volumes,  liandsomely  illaiitrat«;'* 
Per  volume,  $1.35. 


1.  THE  BOAT  CLUB; 

Or,  The  Bankers  of  Rippleton. 

2.  ALL  ABOARD; 

Or,  Life  on  the  Lake. 

3.  NOW  OR  NEVER; 

Or,  The  Adventures  of  Bobby  Bright. 

4.  TRY  AGAIN ; 

Or,  The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  Harry  Wctt 

5.  POOR  AND  PROUD; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  Katy  Redburn. 

6.  LITTLE  BY  LITTLE; 

Or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Flyaway. 


This  is  the  first  series  of  books  written  for  the  young  :-3 
*'  Oliver  Optic."  It  laid  the  foundation  for  his  fame  as  toe 
first  of  authors  in  which  the  3'oung  delight,  and  gained  fOJ 
him  the  title  of  the  Prince  of  Stor3'-Tellers.  The  six  bookf 
are  varied  in  incident  and  plot,  but  all  are  entertaining  aGi 
wiginal. 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS, 


THE  ONWAED  AND  UPWARD 

SERIES. 

Complete  in  six  volumes.    Illustrated.    In  neat  b«x. 
Per  volume,  $1.^5. 


1.  FIELD  AND  FOREST; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Fanner. 

2.  PLANE  AND  PLANK; 

Or,  The  Mishaps  of  a  Mechanic. 

3.  DESK  AND  DEBIT; 

Or,  The  Catastrophes  of  a  Clerk. 

4.  CRINGLE  AND  CROSS-TREE; 

Or,  The  Sea  Swashes  of  a  Sailor. 

5.  BIVOUAC  AND  BATTLE; 

Or,  The  Struggles  of  a  Soldier. 

6.  SEA  AND  SHORE; 

Or,  The  Tramps  of  a  Traveller. 


Paul  Farringford,  the  hero  of  these  tales,  is,  like  most  of 
this  author's  heroes,  a  young  man  of  high  spirit,  and  of  high 
aims  and  correct  principles,  appearing  in  the  different  vol- 
uiaes  as  a  farmer,  a  captain,  a  bookkeeper,  a  soldier,  a  sailor, 
and  a  traveller.  In  all  of  tliem  the  hero  meets  with  very 
exciting  adventures,  told  in  the  graphic  style  for  which  thfe 
author  is  famous.  —  Native. 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS, 


THE   STARRY  FLAG   SERIES. 

Six  volumes.     Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.35. 


1.  THE  STARRY  FLAG; 

Or,  The  Young  Fisherman  of  Cape  Ann. 

2.  BREAKING  AWAY; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Student. 

8.  SEEK  AND  FIND; 

Or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Smart  Boy. 

4.  FREAKS  OF  FORTUNE; 

Or,  Half  Round  the  World. 

5.  MAKE  OR  BREAK; 

Or,  The  Rich  Man's  Daughter. 

6.  DOWN  THE  RIVER; 

Or,  Buck  Bradford  and  the  Tyrants. 


Mr.  Adams,  the  celebrated  and  popular  writer,  familiarlj 
/nown  as  "  Oliver  Optic,"  seems  to  have  inexhaustible  funds 
for  weaving  together  the  virtues  of  life  ;  and  notwithstanding 
lie  has  written  scores  of  books,  the  same  freshness  and  nov- 
elty runs  through  them  all.  Some  people  think  the  sensa- 
tional element  predominates.  Perhaps  it  does.  But  a  book 
for  young  people  needs  this  ;  and  so  long  as  good  sentiments 
are  inculcated  such  books  ought  to  be  read.  —  Pittsburg  ♦^a* 
%eUe 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


YOUNG   AMERICA  ABROAD. 

SECOND    SEKIES. 

A.  I^ibrary  of  Travel  and  Aflveiiture  in  Foreign  Liands.     IGmo. 

Ulustrated  by  JVast,  Stevens,  Perkins,  and  otliers. 

Per  volume,  $1.50. 


1.  UP  THE  BALTIC; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Norway,  Sweden,  and 
Denmark. 

2.  NORTHERN   LANDS; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Russia  and  Prussia. 

3.  CROSS  AND  CRESCENT; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Turkey  and  Greece. 

4.  SUNNY  SHORES; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Italy  and  Austria. 

6.  VINE  AND  OLIVE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Spain  and  Portugal. 

6.  ISLES  OF  THE  SEA; 

Or,  Young  America  Homeward  Bound. 


"  Oliver  Optic"  is  a  nom  de plume  that  is  known  and  loved 
by  almost  every  bo}^  of  intelligence  in  the  land.  We  have 
seen  a  highly  intellectual  and  world- wear}'  man,  a  cynic  whose 
heart  was  somewhat  imbittered  by  its  large  experience  of 
human  nature,  take  up  one  of  Oliver  Optic's  books  and  read 
it  at  a  sitting,  neglecting  his  work  in  yielding  to  the  fascina- 
tion of  the  pages.  When  a  mature  and  exceedingly  well- 
informed  mind,  long  despoiled  of  all  its  freshness,  can  thus 
find  pleasure  in  a  book  for  bo3^s,  no  additional  words  of  rec- 
<jmmendation  are  needed.  —  Sunday  Times. 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S   BOOKS. 


YOUNG  AMERICA   ABROAD. 

FIKST    SEKIES. 

%.  liibarary  of  Travel  and  Aclveiitiire  in  Foreign  ILiands.     IGino. 

Illustrated  by  IVast,  Stevens,  Perkins,  and  others. 

Per  volume,  $1.50. 


1.  OUTWARD  BOUND; 

Or,  Young  America  Afloat. 

2.  SHAMROCK  AND  THISTLE; 

Or,  Youug  America  in  Ireland  and  Scotland. 

3.  RED  CROSS; 

Or.  Young  America  in  England  and  Wales. 

4.  DIKES  AND  DITCHES; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Holland  and  Belgium. 

5.  PALACE  AND  COTTAGE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  France  and  Switzerland. 

o.  DOWN  THE  RHINE; 

Or,  Young  America  in  Germany. 


The  story  from  its  inception  and  through  the  twelve  vol- 
umes (^tsee  Second  Series)^  is  a  bewitching  one,  while  the  in- 
formation imparted,  concerning  the  countries  of  Europe  and 
the  isles  of  the  sea,  is  not  only  correct  in  every  particular,  but 
is  told  in  a  captivating  style.  "  Oliver  Optic  "  will  continue 
to  be  the  boy's  friend,  and  his  pleasant  books  will  continue  to 
be  read  by  thousands  of  American  boys.  What  a  fine  holiday 
present  either  or  both  series  of  "  Young  America  Abroad" 
would  be  for  a  young  friend  !  It  would  make  a  little  library 
liighly  prized  by  the  recipient,  and  would  not  be  an  expensive 
one.  —  Providence  Press. 


OLIVER    OPTIC'S  BOOKS. 


ARMY  AND  NAVY  STORIES 

Six  Volumes.     Illustrated.    Per  vol.,  $1.50. 


1.  THE  SOLDIER  BOY ; 

Or,  Tom  Somers  in  the  Army. 

2.  THE  SAILOR  BOY; 

Or,  Jack  Somers  in  the  Navy. 

3.  THE  YOUNG   LIEUTENANT; 

Or,  Adventures  of  an  Afmy  Officer. 

4.  THE  YANKEE  MIDDY; 

Or,  Adventures  of  a  Navy  Offi«^er. 

5.  FIGHTING  JOE; 

Or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Staff  Officer, 

6.  BRAVE  OLD  SALT; 

Or,  Life  on  the  Quarter-Deck. 


This  series  of  six  volumes  recounts  the  adventure  l'  oi  t^  \ 
Ji'othcrs,  Tom  and  Jack  Somers,  one  in  the  army,  the  othe?  ,T: 
the  navy,  in  the  great  civil  war.  The  romantic  narratives  i;f 
the  fortunes  and  exploits  of  the  brothers  are  thrilling  in  \\  e 
extreme.  Historical  accuracy  in  the  recital  of  the  gre»..^t 
events  of  that  period  is  strictl}^  followed,  and  the  result  is 
not  only  a  library  of  entertaining  volumes,  but  also  the  bes* 
history  of  the  civil  war  for  young  people  ever  written. 


